PMK’s Ramadoss sacks son Anbumani from his party

Leaders of the BJP, the AIADMK, and family friends tried to mediate between the two most powerful people in one of the state’s largest caste-based parties, but their efforts failed

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss expelled his son and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss from the party on Thursday, in a move that will most likely result in a split in one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s important allies in the state.

Former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss was expelled by his father and PMK founder S Ramadoss from the party on Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

Ramadoss, 85, and Anbumani have been sparring since over appointments in the party. In April, Ramadoss removed his son Anbumani from his position as PMK’s president and took over the party. The feud escalated in August when he accused Anbumani of planting a bug in his office, a claim currently being investigated by the police.

Leaders of the BJP, the AIADMK, and family friends tried to mediate between the two most powerful people in one of the state’s largest caste-based parties, but their efforts failed. “The weed called Anbumani has been removed,” Ramadoss said at a press conference held at his residence in Thailapuram in Villupuram district. He added that he is ready to forgive those who supported Anbumani and take them back.

To be sure, Anbumani is unlikely to accept the expulsion and may well challenge his father for control of the party. He has thus far remained mostly silent and on Thursday continued with his 100-day padayatra in northern parts of Tamil Nadu, another point of contention between the two, with Ramadoss opposing the march. Senior PMK leader and advocate K Balu whom Ramadoss expelled for supporting Anbumani said that the latter’s tenure as party president is until August 2026.He was elected by the PMK’s general council and his position was authorised by the Election Commission of India, Balu added. “He (Ramadoss) has been making several statements in the past several months about Anbumani, PMK and the party. It won’t be respectful for me to respond to all that. But, I am clarifying with all authority that Anbumani continues to be the PMK president,” Balu said.

“Anbumani is trying to destroy the PMK. He is a misfit in politics and has acted unilaterally. Without my support, Anbumani would not have become what he is today,” Ramadoss said in the press conference. “No one from the PMK should maintain any ties with Anbumani…My own political children, whom I groomed, joined with him and tried to run a parallel party. I am sad about it, but I am willing to forgive them.”

Ramadoss said that he arrived at this decision after Anbumani failed to respond to a notice with 16 questions sent by the party seeking his explanation on his “anti-party” activities. “Anbumani neither responded nor provided any explanation. This means an admission that the charges are true,” Ramadoss said.

Ramadoss said that his decision was final since he founded the PMK. Anbumani can launch a party on his own if he wants to be independent, he added.

Though PMK’s performance has been waning, it is an influential party in Tamil Nadu with a 5% core vote bank from the Vanniyar community. Over the decades, PMK has swung between the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK.

When the AIADMK left the BJP in 2023 before patching up this April, those in the NDA including PMK stayed with the BJP with only the DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) taking the AIADMK’s side. Ramadoss said in May said that he wanted to align with the AIADMK but Anbumani insisted that they remain with the BJP.

The family feud in the PMK, adds to the tensions mounting in the NDA ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. After the AIADMK led by Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) rejoined the BJP in April, other allies who were previously expelled by him from the AIADMK, O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran quit the NDA. The remaining allies in the NDA such as Tamil Maanila Congress, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, and the New Justice Party do not have a madd base.

The family feud in the PMK first became public in December 2024 when Ramadoss appointed his grandson P Mukundan (his daughter’s son) as the PMK youth wing president during a party meeting. Anbumani objected to this.