Political Fissure Widens: Anbumani Ramadoss Formally Declares PMK Factional Split in High Court Submission

In a significant development with potential ramifications for Tamil Nadu's political landscape, former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has formally acknowledged a factional division within the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) party during proceedings before the Madras High Court. The declaration positions his faction as a breakaway entity from the party structure historically led by his father, Dr. S. Ramadoss. This public legal admission crystallizes long-simmering internal tensions into an official schism, raising questions about party unity, electoral strategy, and leadership succession. The judicial bench, comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, declined to hear Anbumani's submissions on procedural grounds, noting his non-inclusion as a respondent in the original writ petition filed by his father. This technical dismissal, however, does not diminish the substantive political intelligence revealed. The move signals a strategic attempt by Anbumani to assert an independent political identity and legal standing, potentially recalibrating the PMK's influence ahead of future electoral contests. Analysts will monitor subsequent legal maneuvers and party dynamics closely, as this formal split could trigger realignments within Tamil Nadu's complex caste-based and regional political matrix.