India, Sept. 8 -- The internal friction in the AIADMK-a major political force in Tamil Nadu politics-comes at a time when the party is recalibrating its political strategy to take on its main rival-the ruling DMK-in the 2026 Assembly elections. The southern party, which has had a blow-hot-blow-cold relationship with the BJP, recently realigned with the saffron party, confirming that it will contest the upcoming polls as part of the NDA.

Over the past couple of years the AIADMK has been facing internal issues which resurfaced with a very public fallout between veteran leader and former minister KA Sengottaiyan and party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). Sengottaiyan, who held important roles as AIADMK Organisational Secretar...