Internal dissent in the AIADMK resurfaced on Monday, with a group of rebel leaders meeting in Chennai to review the party's defeat in the October 9 byelections and discuss their future political options.
The meeting was attended by former ministers S P Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam, Natham Viswanathan and P Thangamani, among other dissident leaders who had earlier voted in favour of the C Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government during the Assembly trust vote on May 13.
There was no official briefing on the outcome of the meeting. However, sources said the leaders discussed the possibility of functioning as a separate group in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and exploring their political options.
The dissidents maintain that they remain part of the AIADMK despite their differences with the current leadership. They have also advocated bringing together the party's various factions and readmitting previously expelled leaders, including TTV Dhinakaran.
The latest meeting comes amid continued turbulence within the AIADMK following its defeat in the April Assembly elections, after which it also lost its status as the principal Opposition party to the DMK.
Both established Dravidian parties were overtaken by the TVK, led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, which formed a minority government with support from the DMK's long-term allies.
The dissident leaders had earlier rebelled against the AIADMK leadership by backing the TVK government during the trust vote. All except Shanmugam subsequently signed an apology letter and returned to the party.
However, they have maintained that their demands for the restoration of key organisational positions within the AIADMK have not been addressed by the leadership, keeping the internal differences alive.
The bypoll losses in Dharapuram and Madurantakam on October 9 appear to have brought those differences back into focus, prompting the leaders to regroup and consider their next steps.