Ex-Minister Claims Public Regrets Voting for TVK Government

Former AIADMK Minister P. Thangamani asserted on Friday, August 14, 2026, that the populace is regretting its electoral choice of the TVK party, predicting its tenure would be short-lived. Thangamani was speaking at an AIADMK protest in Salem concerning agricultural loan waivers and the state's entitlement to Cauvery River water from Karnataka.

The protest, held at Fort Maidan, demanded a full waiver of crop loans and the release of Tamil Nadu's allocated share of Cauvery water from Karnataka. Thangamani referenced Supreme Court rulings from 1991 and 2018, which stipulated that Karnataka required consent from lower riparian states—Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala—before constructing new dams on the Cauvery. He contrasted this with the Union government's notification to Parliament, suggesting permission was not required for the Mekedatu dam project, followed by a later modification of its stance.

Thangamani noted that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had communicated these concerns to the Union government. He further alleged that the current TVK administration was indifferent to the water dispute, pointing to Karnataka's non-compliance with directives from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee and the Cauvery Water Management Authority. According to Thangamani, Karnataka only released surplus water after filling its own reservoirs.

He contrasted the current government's actions with the AIADMK's past waiver of ₹22,000 crore in crop loans. Thangamani also accused the TVK government of renaming projects initiated by former Chief Ministers Palaniswami and Jayalalithaa. He reiterated his belief that the TVK government would not endure and that Palaniswami would soon reassume the Chief Ministership. Separately, another former Minister, P. Balakrishna Reddy, led a similar protest in Namakkal.