Father vs Son in PMK: S. Ramadoss reclaims party leadership from son Anbumani ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is the latest family-run party to witness a leadership tussle. On Thursday, party founder S. Ramadoss reclaimed leadership from his son and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss, just ahead of next year's assembly elections. Anbumani has now been made the working president.

The timing was notable-just hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Tamil Nadu to finalize alliances, including one with AIADMK and other NDA partners. PMK is part of the NDA and holds five MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with a 3.8% vote share.

Tensions within the party surfaced publicly last December when S. Ramadoss appointed his grandson Mukundan as youth wing chief, replacing Anbumani. The latter responded on stage, announcing that party leaders could meet him at a separate office.


Party insiders say the current move is strategic, tied to alliance negotiations. S. Ramadoss is reportedly unwilling to commit to larger parties a year in advance and wants to retain bargaining power, stating that future alliances will be decided by the party. In contrast, Anbumani is keen on continuing with the NDA as a stable alternative to the ruling state coalition.

However, Anbumani's supporters are downplaying the announcement. One leader told ET that such decisions require approval from the party's general council.

Founded in 1989, PMK has traditionally represented the Vanniyars, a significant caste group among the MBCs. S. Ramadoss claims the Vanniyars make up 24% of Tamil Nadu's population. They primarily reside in the northern and central regions and benefit from a 10.5% sub-quota within the state's 20% MBC reservation.