Chennai, Sep 16 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday called on newly elected Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan at his official residence in Delhi and conveyed his greetings.

Palaniswami, accompanied by senior party leaders, said Tamil Nadu was proud to see a son of the Kongu region rise to the country’s second-highest constitutional office.

Palaniswami is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah at 8 p.m., in what is being seen as a politically significant engagement against the backdrop of shifting equations in Tamil Nadu politics and turbulence within his (AIADMK) party.

Palaniswami travelled to Delhi earlier in the morning along with senior leaders K.P. Munusamy and S.P. Velumani. He was joined in the Vice President’s meeting by deputy general secretary Munusamy, treasurer Dindigul Srinivasan, headquarters secretary Velumani, parliamentary party leader M. Thambidurai, and MPs C.V. Shanmugam, Inbathurai, and Dhanapal.

The Delhi visit comes soon after Palaniswami removed senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan from party responsibilities, following the latter’s dissatisfaction with his ultimatum on readmitting expelled members.

Sengottaiyan’s meeting with Amit Shah last week added to speculation of factional moves within the AIADMK.

Adding to the flux, T.T.V. Dhinakaran announced his exit from the NDA, claiming the BJP could not back Palaniswami as the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate.

This has intensified focus on Palaniswami’s talks with Amit Shah. Party insiders suggest Palaniswami will urge the Centre to bestow the Bharat Ratna on freedom fighter Muthuramalinga Thevar, a long-standing demand from southern Tamil Nadu.

Broader discussions on alliance strategies and the road to the 2026 Assembly elections are also expected.

Political observers say the back-to-back meetings with the Vice President and Amit Shah reflect Palaniswami’s bid to consolidate his standing in the NDA and within his party, making this Delhi trip a crucial moment in Tamil Nadu’s evolving political scene, especially as the 2026 Assembly elections near.

–IANS

aal/dpb