AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accompanied by his party colleagues, called on Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan for the first time after the latter’s recent election, in New Delhi on Tuesday (September 16, 2025).

His visit to New Delhi assumed importance in the wake of recent developments in the Dravidian party.

Of late, there has been a renewed attempt for bringing together, under the fold of the AIADMK, all those who left the organisation. Incumbent Gobichettipalayam MLA and former School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, on September 5, set a 10-day-long deadline for Mr. Palaniswami to initiate the process, and predictably, his call was supported by the party’s former leaders O. Panneerselvam, V.K.Sasikala and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran. However, Mr. Palaniswami took no action on his colleague’s request, except relieving him from party posts.

On the night of September 8, Mr. Sengotaiyan met Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders, Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi and told reporters later that he had discussed the party affairs with them.

On September 15 night, the AIADMK general secretary, who addressed a public meeting in Chennai, alluded to certain actions of those who owed allegiance to the leadership of Mr. Panneerselvam in 2022 and Mr. Dhinakaran in 2017. He wondered how those who damaged the party headquarters and who arranged the “abduction” of 18 legislators would be readmitted.

As the questions were being raised in the public domain regarding the longevity of the AIADMK and BJP alliance, Mr. Palaniswami, during his speech in Chennai, recalled how the BJP-led regime at the Centre had rescued the AIADMK regime against attempts to dislodge it from power, after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016.

It has not yet been made known whether Mr. Palaniswami will use his New Delhi trip to meet Mr. Shah.