CHENNAI: The simmering discontent between PMK founder S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss was once again under spotlight on Friday when only a handful of the party’s 108 district secretaries took part in a meeting convened by the former at his Thailapuram residence near Tindivanam. The absence may be seen as a clear signal of the district secretaries rallying behind Anbumani in his attempt to establish himself as the party president. Anbumani also didn’t take part in the meeting.
The Chithirai conference of the Vanniyar Sangam held in Mamallapuram on May 11 was viewed as a major success for the party, with a large number of cadres in attendance. The strong turnout was especially significant, as the event was held after a gap of more than a decade and the first since the death of prominent Vanniyar Sangam leader J Guru, a key crowd-puller who passed away in 2018.
However, before the buzz around the conference had fully faded, the party was once again hit by internal turmoil as most functionaries skipped the meeting called by Ramadoss, whose word was once considered sacred by them.
At the Friday meeting attended by only a handful of functionaries including two of the party’s five MLAs -- GK Mani and R Arul -- Ramadoss reiterated the need for efforts at the grassroots-level to win 50 Assembly seats in the 2026 elections, a goal he had earlier outlined at the Mamallapuram conference.
Sources revealed that Ramadoss aimed to identify the 50 key constituencies and share strategic plans with the district secretaries, but was disappointed as most of them boycotted the meeting. Sources added that he also sought to assert his control over crucial decisions such as forging alliances and distributing party tickets to MLA candidates.
“Even among those who attended the meeting, several functionaries hoped to secure party posts or MLA tickets through Ramadoss as they lacked support of Anbumani,” the sources explained. Party functionaries TNIE spoke to expressed hope that the ongoing tug of war between the father and the son ends well before the election as continued discord could harm the party’s electoral prospects.
A senior functionary said, “Many party members are confused about whether to support the father or the son. Ramadoss’ active participation in the election campaign is essential for the party, given the respect he commands among the middle-aged and the elderly.Without their active participation, canvassing for votes in villages will be challenging. I trust Anbumani is aware of this reality.”