AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami consolidates party and rejects DMK tie‑up

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami held district‑level review meetings in Erode and Tiruvallur, where two MLAs previously linked to the rival Velumani‑CVe Shanmugam faction attended. Their participation was seen as a sign of growing support for Palaniswami’s leadership ahead of upcoming local body elections. Palaniswami urged party functionaries to strengthen grassroots organization and commit loyal workers to key roles.

Later, Palaniswami addressed reporters in Salem, dismissing reports of a possible AIADMK‑DMK coalition as baseless and warning that his party would “decimate both the present and former ruling parties.” He criticized Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for accusing the two Dravidian parties of “partners in theft,” accused Vijay of engineering defections, and questioned the effectiveness of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, noting its reliance on alliance partners and the appointment of film‑industry figures to government posts.