Sat Mar 15 07:37:11 UTC 2025: ## AIADMK Downplays Internal Rift After MLA Absence From Meeting
**Chennai, March 15, 2025** – AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami dismissed reports of internal dissent within the party following the absence of senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan from a recent legislature party meeting. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr. Palaniswami deflected questions about Mr. Sengottaiyan’s absence, stating that not all 62 AIADMK MLAs were present and that party members enjoyed considerable freedom.
He further refuted media reports suggesting a rift, emphasizing the party’s decentralized structure and contrasting it with the DMK’s “dynasty politics.” Mr. Palaniswami described himself as an “ordinary worker,” denying any reliance on other party members and asserting that the AIADMK operates without internal dictatorship. He identified the DMK as the AIADMK’s sole political opponent. The comments follow a walkout by the AIADMK from the state’s budget session on Friday.
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