The leadership tussle within the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) between party founder Dr S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss shows no signs of resolution. On Thursday, June 5, Anbumani visited his father’s residence in Thailapuram, Tindivanam, but sources told TNM that no formal discussion took place between the two.
Anbumani left the residence without addressing the media, refusing to disclose the reason for his visit.
Sources within the PMK said Dr Ramadoss remains firm on his stance and has laid down three conditions for a possible truce. “He wants Anbumani to step down as PMK president and continue only as the working president. He has also demanded that his grandson Mukundan be appointed as the youth wing secretary, along with other commitments to family members,” a source said.
Sources also said former Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraiswamy has been in touch with Dr Ramadoss over the past few days, working behind the scenes to facilitate dialogue. Shortly after Anbumani left the residence, RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy and Saidai Duraiswamy met the PMK founder and held discussions regarding the ongoing power tussle in the party.
However, when leaving the residence, he told mediapersons that he met Ramadoss as a longtime friend and that he did not meet him on behalf of the BJP.
The development comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Tamil Nadu on May 7 to attend a few events.
Last week, Dr Ramadoss accused his son Anbumani of forcing him to join the NDA alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. BJP sources say the party’s high command wants to finalise the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu by the end of June, ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections. The unresolved PMK leadership issue could potentially derail these plans.
In April 2025, the BJP and AIADMK formally announced their alliance to take on the DMK in 2026. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Chennai and declared that the NDA would contest the elections under AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s leadership.
Last week, Dr Ramadoss held a dramatic press conference in which he launched a scathing attack on Anbumani, accusing him of poor leadership and deliberately undermining the party.