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Senthil Balaji–S.P. Velumani Interaction at Assembly Triggers Political Speculation

SimpliCity News Team · 11 May 2026

Chennai: The first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly commenced at Fort St. George on Monday, with newly elected MLAs taking oath in the Assembly chamber. The session comes a day after TVK president C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Amid the political developments inside the Assembly premises, a brief interaction between senior DMK leader Senthil Balaji and senior AIADMK leader S.P. Velumani quickly drew the attention of legislators and political observers.

The interaction gained significance in view of the changing political landscape in Coimbatore district following the recently concluded Assembly elections. Senthil Balaji secured victory in the Coimbatore South constituency with a slender margin of around 2,000 votes, marking a significant breakthrough for the DMK in the region.

Meanwhile, former minister S.P. Velumani, who contested from the Thondamuthur constituency, emerged as the lone MLA from Coimbatore district to win on behalf of the NDA alliance.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK had failed to secure victory in any of the 10 Assembly constituencies in Coimbatore district, while the AIADMK-led alliance had swept the region. However, in the latest election, the DMK managed to win three constituencies — Coimbatore South, Valparai and Pollachi.

The AIADMK, which had earlier dominated all 10 constituencies in the district, was restricted to just one seat this time, with S.P. Velumani’s victory in Thondamuthur emerging as the party’s lone success in the region. Political observers view this as a major setback for the AIADMK in one of its traditional strongholds.

Against this politically charged backdrop, the brief interaction between Senthil Balaji and S.P. Velumani has drawn significant attention, particularly amid growing speculation over internal discontent within the AIADMK following the party’s poor performance in the recent Assembly elections, where it was pushed to the third position in Tamil Nadu politics.

Political circles have been abuzz with reports that several senior AIADMK leaders, including S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam, are allegedly unhappy with the leadership of Edappadi K. Palaniswami. While no official confirmation has emerged, widespread speculation within party circles suggests that discussions over a possible leadership change under S.P. Velumani, or even a potential political realignment involving the TVK, are gaining momentum.

Though neither Senthil Balaji nor S.P. Velumani has publicly commented on the interaction, visuals and discussions surrounding the exchange have continued to circulate widely across social media platforms and political forums.

Senthil Balaji S.P. Velumani DMK AIADMK Tamil Nadu Assembly Coimbatore political speculation internal discord legislative session

Senthil Balaji–S.P. Velumani Interaction at Assembly Triggers Political Speculation

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