On May 12, 2026, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of the AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu, launched a strong rebuttal against a rebel faction led by former Ministers C.Ve. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani. The Palaniswami group accused the rebels of fabricating claims about his attempts to ally with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. They asserted that the rebels, who have failed to achieve electoral success in their districts, were spreading falsehoods. Shanmugam had earlier stated that the party's legislators supported Velumani as their leader and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. The Palaniswami camp questioned the legitimacy of the rebels’ decision-making authority, citing the 1.34 crore votes garnered by the AIADMK-led alliance under Palaniswami's leadership. They accused the rebels of abandoning party volunteers and allies, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), in pursuit of power. The Palaniswami group reaffirmed their loyalty to him, stating that the party's movement is driven by its volunteers, not just a few MLAs.