Anbumani Ramadoss Rejects PMK Expulsion and Continues Campaign
Dr. Ramadoss continued his state-wide campaign, engaging with fishers in Cuddalore district.
In a dramatic escalation of a family and political feud, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, former Union Minister and president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), has rejected his expulsion from the party as invalid, defying his father and party founder, Dr. S. Ramadoss. The expulsion, announced on September 11, followed months of internal strife within the PMK, with Anbumani asserting that his presidency, ratified by the Election Commission of India, remains valid until August 2026.
On the day of his expulsion, Anbumani continued his state-wide campaign, engaging with fishers in Cuddalore district’s Devanampattinam, known for Silver Beach. He pledged to address their concerns, including the construction of groynes to combat sea erosion, and even tried his hand at fishing, signaling his determination to maintain his public presence despite the party’s disciplinary action.
The PMK’s disciplinary committee leveled 16 charges against Anbumani, including allegations of planting a tapping device in his father’s office, conducting an unauthorized 100-day campaign in northern Tamil Nadu, and causing a rift by meeting district secretaries. Party lawyer K. Balu, a supporter of Anbumani, dismissed the expulsion as a violation of PMK bylaws, reinforcing Anbumani’s claim to the presidency.
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The rift between father and son deepened in April when S. Ramadoss appointed himself president, demoting Anbumani to working president. Since then, both leaders have held separate party meetings, expelled each other’s supporters, and appointed loyalists to key positions, intensifying the power struggle. The feud became public in December 2024 when Ramadoss appointed his grandson, P. Mukundan, as the youth wing president, a move Anbumani openly opposed, sparking a war of words.
At a press conference in Villupuram, S. Ramadoss emotionally accused his son of betraying the party he founded in 1989, suggesting Anbumani start his own party. He expressed regret over appointing Anbumani as Union Health Minister, citing allegations of office tapping as a breaking point. Despite attempts by supporters to mediate, the divide has only widened.
S. Ramadoss, a medical doctor from Tindivanam, rose to prominence through the Vanniyar Sangam, leading a 1987 agitation for caste-based reservations that paralyzed Tamil Nadu. Though the protest did not immediately succeed, the DMK government in 1989 granted a 20% reservation for Most Backward Classes, including Vanniyars, a victory Ramadoss leveraged to establish and popularize the PMK among the Vanniyar community.
Anbumani’s defiance and continued engagement with constituents signal a deepening schism within the PMK, with potential implications for its influence in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape as factions vie for control.
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