Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss on Saturday, July 25, announced his retirement from active politics, stating that he would no longer involve himself in political affairs and that the party's leadership would now rest with his son, Anbumani Ramadoss.
The announcement was made during celebrations marking Ramadoss's 88th birthday at a private college near Tindivanam in Villupuram district.
Addressing party workers, Ramadoss said he was embracing "political renunciation" from Saturday and would henceforth stay away from political activities.
"From today, I will not speak about politics or guide any political activities. I will meet people who come to see me and enquire about their well-being, but I will not interfere in politics," he said.
Declaring Anbumani as his political successor, Ramadoss urged party functionaries to extend their full support to him.
"Anbumani will look after everything. Everyone should support him, and we too will stand by him," he said.
He also requested those visiting him in the future not to engage him in political discussions.
"You may come, ask about my health and leave. There is no place for political discussions anymore," he said.
The announcement comes nearly a month after Ramadoss and Anbumani reconciled following a prolonged leadership dispute that had split the PMK.
Last month, Anbumani, accompanied by his wife and Dharmapuri MLA Sowmiya Anbumani, along with other family members, visited Ramadoss at his residence in Thailapuram near Tindivanam on the occasion of his wedding anniversary.
The meeting marked an emotional reunion between the father and son, signalling the end of a bitter rift that had persisted for more than a year.
The dispute, which began in 2025 over leadership and organisational control of the party, had led to an open split within the PMK. The rival camps held separate meetings, expelled each other's supporters and publicly differed over the party's political strategy and electoral alliances.
Ramadoss's decision to step away from politics is expected to formally consolidate Anbumani's leadership of the PMK after months of internal turmoil.
Following the reconciliation, Ramadoss also withdrew the case he had filed seeking him as the PMK president.
Earlier on Saturday, Ramadoss and Anbumani arrived together for the birthday celebrations and, along with family members, planted 88 saplings to mark his 88th birthday before he formally announced his retirement from politics.