Revenue Minister K A Sengottaiyan of Tamil Nadu has stated that around 15 more members of the AIADMK's legislative ranks are set to leave the party, a development that points to continued turbulence within the principal Opposition bloc.

Questions about the AIADMK's cohesion and electoral standing have persisted in the wake of the 2026 Assembly polls, with the party's position further complicated by the decision of a portion of its lawmakers to back the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led administration that took shape following those results.

Having crossed from the AIADMK into the TVK ranks ahead of the Assembly election, Sengottaiyan has on multiple occasions forecast that additional members of his former party would follow a similar path. His remarks raise the prospect of further political shifts that may alter the AIADMK's standing within the Assembly.

The figure of 15 — the count of legislators Sengottaiyan identified as likely to leave — originates from his own projection, and none of the lawmakers he named has stepped forward to confirm that characterisation.

Post-election conditions proved testing for the AIADMK, with the TVK having taken the largest share of seats and subsequently assembled a governing coalition drawing on backing from allied parties. Disagreements over the AIADMK's leadership position, along with the party's stance toward the new government, have added to the strains facing an organisation already working through a period of transition.

When the Assembly took up the confidence motion, divisions among AIADMK members became visible. Within the party's legislative ranks, opinion on the TVK government was divided — one bloc backed the administration while another stood in opposition. Friction within the party deepened after the split, with doubts surfacing about whether its elected members could be kept in line.

The disagreement extended into the Assembly chamber, where Sengottaiyan and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami exchanged sharp words over the vacant seats left behind by legislators who had resigned. Bypolls to those unfilled seats formed the core of Sengottaiyan's demand, while Palaniswami questioned how constituents without elected representation would have their concerns addressed.

Factional tensions within the AIADMK have drawn wider attention in part because of what they could mean for the Opposition's capacity to mount a credible challenge against the ruling party. Any additional departures — whether through resignations or members crossing the floor — stand to alter its numbers in the legislature and, by extension, its ability to negotiate from a position of strength.

Sengottaiyan also placed on record his backing for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's leadership alongside his own decision to join the TVK. Questions about whether Palaniswami can guide the AIADMK back to a competitive position at the polls have surfaced from within the party, centred on what its future looks like under its present leadership.