Salem’s Streets Turn Into a Battleground as PMK Factionalism Boils Over

The expulsion of MLA Arul and a violent clash in Salem underscore a deepening, high-stakes power struggle between the PMK founder’s legacy and the party’s current leadership.

The political climate in Tamil Nadu has turned volatile following a series of violent confrontations in Salem, where supporters of PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss and his son, party president Anbumani Ramadoss, clashed in the streets. The chaos resulted in nine injuries and significant damage to six vehicles, marking a dangerous escalation in what appears to be a widening family and ideological fissure within the party.

At the heart of the storm is Salem West MLA R. Arul. Once a prominent face of the party, Arul has been formally expelled from the PMK’s primary membership by Anbumani. The move followed Arul’s public accusations that he had been "abandoned" by the party leadership. The situation grew particularly tense during a recent campaign trail when, amidst the growing unrest, the senior Ramadoss reportedly fainted, further destabilizing an already fractured campaign atmosphere in the region.

A Party at War with Itself

The rift has exposed a deep-seated friction between old-guard loyalists who align with the founder and the newer organizational direction set by Anbumani. Supporters of the elder Ramadoss have alleged that their voices are being sidelined, with some functionaries even claiming that their lives are under threat for their continued allegiance to the party patriarch.

For his part, Arul has become the flashpoint of this internal rebellion. After the expulsion was made official, the MLA’s rhetoric against the top brass grew sharper, signaling that his departure may not be a quiet one. The violence in Salem—a key base for the party—serves as a grim indicator of how local-level workers are being caught in the crossfire of this national-level political transition.

Why It Matters

This is not merely a localized dispute; it is a critical test for the PMK as it prepares for the upcoming 2026 elections. Historically, the party has relied on a unified identity built around the Ramadoss family name. When the leadership itself appears divided, it risks alienating the core support base that has sustained the party for decades.

If the PMK cannot resolve this internal factionalism, it faces the prospect of a fractured vote share in its strongholds. Furthermore, the public nature of the violence in Salem damages the party’s image as a disciplined political force, potentially handing an advantage to rivals. For observers of Indian politics, the Salem incident is a classic case study of how generational transitions and power shifts can transform a stable regional party into a battleground of competing egos and ideologies.