All is not well within the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), founded to champion the interests of the Hindu Vanniyars – a dominant caste with influence in Tamil Nadu’s northern districts. Party founder Dr S Ramadoss has now admitted that appointing his only son, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, as Union Cabinet Minister in the UPA cabinet was a mistake. He publicly declared that he would no longer be held responsible for Anbumani’s actions as PMK’s working president.
In 1980, the Vanniyar Sangam was formed by uniting all Vanniyar caste outfits. It launched a movement in 1987 demanding reservation and MBC (Most Backward Class) status for the community. Their protests and agitations brought vehicular traffic to a standstill on major highways linking the state’s southern and northern districts. Protestors felled thousands of trees to block roads, and in a shocking escalation, over 1,400 homes belonging to Dalits were reportedly torched. This led to violent clashes between the communities. Several protestors were injured in police firing. In 1989, recognising the Vanniyars’ substantial vote bank, the DMK government led by M Karunanidhi granted them MBC status and the associated benefits in education and employment.
Over the years, the Vanniyar Sangam witnessed numerous splits and the rise of splinter groups, though most didn’t survive long. On 16 July 1989, Dr Ramadoss announced the formation of PMK as a political outfit, vowing that no member of his family would occupy party posts or be given Cabinet positions. This promise, however, remained unfulfilled, as his family quickly gained control, turning PMK into yet another dynastic party.
PMK earned a reputation as a “habitual coalition switcher”, aligning based on shifting political fortunes. Dr Ramadoss is known for his support of the LTTE, and his slogan “Vanniyars vote only for Vanniyars” failed to resonate with other castes. Consequently, the party struggled to win enough seats to wield influence in government or policy.
In November 2020, Ramadoss called for a protest demanding 20% internal reservation for Vanniyars within the MBC category in education and jobs, starting 1 December. During the agitation, over 500 PMK cadres pelted stones at a moving train and blocked traffic when denied entry into Chennai. Ahead of the state assembly elections in February 2021, the AIADMK government passed a bill granting 10.5% internal reservation for Vanniyars to appease the PMK, which had threatened to quit the coalition. In July 2021, the DMK government issued an order implementing the 10.5% quota. While PMK remained a major force until the 2016 assembly elections, its influence has since waned. Anbumani was projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate and gradually took over party affairs due to his father’s age and health.
Recently, tensions between the father and son have come to light, including disagreements over appointing Dr Ramadoss’ grandson Mukundan as youth wing president. Insiders say this appointment marked the entry of another family faction within the party, which Anbumani and his supporters strongly opposed. This incident is believed to have triggered the current controversy.
On May 15, Anbumani skipped a district functionaries’ meeting chaired by his father. The internal rift became public as only 20 out of 110 district secretaries attended, leaving the senior leader visibly upset. Dr Ramadoss declared he would resume control of the party. He stated, “The lion’s legs won’t break. Its roar only grows louder. I did not speak at the youth conference – I roared. Our party will fully back reservation for Vanniyars. As the founder of PMK, I will decide the party’s future path.” At the youth conference held in Mahabalipuram on 12 May, he had asserted that he would make the final call on electoral alliances.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Dr Ramadoss had favoured an alliance with the AIADMK-led bloc, but Anbumani allegedly pushed him to meet BJP’s Annamalai and sign a pact with the NDA. Like others in the NDA, the PMK failed to win a single seat. Anbumani had fielded his wife Sowmya. He later called a three-day meeting of party functionaries, choosing not to issue a statement but clearly aiming to assert control.
Against this backdrop, on May 29 at his Thailapuram residence, Dr Ramadoss spoke to the media. He accused his son of lying and creating internal strife. “Today’s executive committee meeting saw the attendance of only 19 members,” he said. “Anbumani neither listens to them nor allows them to speak or voice their grievances. I wanted the PMK to align with AIADMK for the Lok Sabha polls. Anbumani had already discussed and finalised the alliance with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. But suddenly, Anbumani and Sowmya came to Thailapuram and cried. They wept for so long that I had no choice but to concede. An AIADMK–PMK alliance would have been natural. Had it happened, PMK would have won three seats and AIADMK six or seven.”
In another shocking revelation, Dr Ramadoss recalled, “During Pongal this year, while we were spending time with family, my wife asked Anbumani if he had appointed his second daughter as youth wing leader. In response, Anbumani picked up a bottle and threw it at his own mother. It did not hit her – but this is just one example. He opposed my decision to appoint my daughter’s son, P Mukundan, as youth wing chief. (Mukundan resigned from the post on 29 May citing personal reasons.) Anbumani is deviating from the party’s core principles. He’s trying to hide his mistakes and gain sympathy from party workers. To be honest, the mistake wasn’t Anbumani’s – it was mine. I erred by making him a Union Cabinet Minister at the age of 35, going against my own principles. If Anbumani tries to paint me as the villain and garner sympathy from the cadre, I will have no choice but to respond. I will openly list out every accusation against him.”
Lashing out further, Dr Ramadoss said, “Anbumani has no leadership qualities. He has shattered the party’s growth. For the past 45 years, I have run this movement with discipline and dignity, just as CN Annadurai envisioned. But Anbumani has ruined it. I silently bore insults and mockery from opponents for the sake of the people. But when the very calf I raised struck me in the chest, I lost my balance. What I’ve shared is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“I had asked Tamil Kumaran, son of PMK honorary president GK Mani, to get involved in party work. I gave him an appointment letter. But Anbumani immediately tore it up and phoned him, telling him to resign. When he and his family came to attend the general council meeting, Anbumani rang me that morning and said they should not be allowed to participate. Imagine the embarrassment and hurt caused to that family.”
These explosive developments have sent shockwaves through Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, raising serious questions about the future of the PMK, its internal leadership structure, and its alliance strategy.
