Gautami Tadimalla quits AIADMK, cites 'current political climate'

Actor Gautami Tadimalla quit AIADMK citing the 'political climate'. Her resignation follows a mass exodus of over 300 AIADMK members, including former ministers, who defected to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party.

Gautami Tadimalla Resigns from AIADMK

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Deputy Secretary, Propaganda, Gautami Tadimalla, on Sunday, resigned from the party's primary membership citing the "current political climate" and her desire to continue social service.

In a post on X, Tadimalla posted a letter addressed to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Gautami said she was stepping down "with a heavy heart" to carry out social work "in an appropriate manner". "Effective today, 14/06/2026, considering the current political climate, I am resigning from the post of AIADMK primary member and the post of Party Deputy Propaganda Secretary with a heavy heart, in order to continue my social service in an appropriate manner," she wrote.

The actor-turned-politician also thanked senior party leaders and functionaries for their cooperation during her tenure. "I sincerely salute and thank the former ministers, party headquarters executives, state secretaries of other party wings, district party secretaries, circle party secretaries, area party secretaries, union party secretaries, and town/panchayat party secretaries who have extended their cooperation to me in every way from the day I joined the party until today," the letter said. With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the AIADMK today... pic.twitter.com/idq97IzgjQ — Gautami Tadimalla (@gautamitads) June 14, 2026

Mass Defection Hits AIADMK

Last week, over 300 members from AIADMK officially joined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday at the party headquarters in Panaiyur near Chennai, citing inability to serve the public properly under AIADMK leadership.

Among those who joined the ruling party were former AIADMK Minister Vellamandi Natarajan, Anna Trade Union Federation State Secretary Kamalakkannan, former AIADMK MLA from Mylapore Natraj, former AIADMK Minister Anandan, former Paramakudi AIADMK MLA Sadhan Prabhakar, Tirupathur City Secretary D T Kumar. The induction took place in the presence of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister N Anand, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sengottaiyan, and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna.

Leaders Cite Inability to Serve Public

Former Minister and senior AIADMK leader Udumalai Radhakrishnan said that, along with him, senior leaders, including Trichy N R Sivapathi, Kadambur Raju, M C Sampath, Panneerselvam, Govindasamy, and Kolathur Krishnamoorthy, have joined the ruling TVK.

Recalling the leadership of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, he said AIADMK functionaries maintained strict discipline during her tenure and that her demise was a major setback for the party.

Radhakrishnan also stated that although they had remained in AIADMK for the past five years, they were unable to effectively serve the public and had been functioning under difficult circumstances. He said they see the ideals of M G Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa reflected in the leadership of Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, adding that the respect and recognition they received in TVK motivated their decision to join the party. (ANI)

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