AS THE Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) reels under the all-out war between its founder S Ramadoss and son Anbumani Ramadoss, party sources point to two figures who remain in the background but play a crucial role – their respective wives.
PMK insiders, in fact, refer to Anbumani and wife Sowmiya as the ‘Gang of Two’ – taking inspiration from the famed ‘Gang of Four’ that held total dominance during Mao Zedong’s time as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s premier. One of the four was Mao’s powerful wife.
On the side of Ramadoss, 86, are his wife Saraswathi, 77, elder daughter Gandhimathi, Gandhimathi’s son Parasuraman Mukundan, and another daughter. But it is his second wife, Susheela, who is in her late 60s, who is believed to have brought matters between the father and son to a head.
Senior leaders say Susheela has gradually grown into a powerful figure in Ramadoss’s life. “She manages access to him, filters information, and holds sway over Ramadoss’s moods. It was her dominance that alienated Anbumani even as he was always seen as the political heir,” a leader claimed.
According to party insiders, Susheela does not want Anbumani to have total control over the party, and hence pushed Ramadoss to create space for Gandhimathi’s son Mukundan, which finally forced the family rift into the open.
However, in the battle for control of the PMK, Anbumani and wife are seen to be prevailing over Ramadoss – the Vanniyar icon long revered as ‘Ayya’ by the community, for securing it the status of MBC (Most Backward Class) and 20% reservation.
Anbumani and Sowmiya have the backing of most of the party, including the PMK’s three MLAs, its rank and file, and the party’s loyal Vanniyar base. Sources said this is because Anbumani, 56, is seen by the cadre as the future. Sowmiya is believed to have a say in his decisions, and his ear. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the 53-year-old contested from Dharmapuri, and came second, losing to her DMK rival by 20,000-plus votes.
“Power is about momentum,” says a PMK leader from Chennai. “And Anbumani has it. He is the face of the party, he is the one whom the cadre report to. Ayya is now ceremonial. We respect him.”
Another leader adds that while selfish interests may be behind the cadre rallying behind Anbumani now, “ordinary voters from the Vanniyar community cannot ignore Ramadoss Senior, who has fought tooth and nail for the community for many decades”.
The rift is especially surprising as, for two decades, Anbumani was groomed by Ramadoss to lead the PMK and was considered the face of a party seeking to modernise with the times. In 2004, when the UPA including the PMK came to power at the Centre, Anbumani, a trained doctor and a new entrant to politics, was nominated by his party to be a part of the Union Cabinet. As Health Minister, he was the youngest member of the Cabinet.
In the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the PMK’s campaign slogan was ‘Change. Progress. Anbumani’ – marking a sharp departure from the party’s traditional politics of grassroots caste mobilisation.
However, the PMK could never really shed its image of a caste-bound party, and its name kept coming up in anti-Dalit violence in districts like Dharmapuri. While this put Anbumani’s image at odds with that of the PMK old guard, none of that mattered internally – until his nephew Mukundan entered the frame.
In December 2024, at a PMK general council meeting, Ramadoss announced the appointment of Mukundan as the party youth wing president “to help Anbumani”. Anbumani did not hide his surprise, snapping from the stage: “Help for me? I don’t need it.” He added: “Mukundan joined the party four months ago. What experience does he have?”
In a party that revolved around its founder, the moment stunned the cadres and the auditorium. Ramadoss, red-faced, shot back: “Whoever it is, they should listen to me. Those who don’t, can leave.”
As per PMK leaders, the reason Anbumani reacted so sharply and publicly was his insecurity about Susheela’s dominance and what Mukundan’s appointment could entail.
However, even while the PMK’s Tamil Nadu counterparts – AIADMK and DMK – have had their share of inheritance wars, the Ramadoss camp accusing Anbumani of planting surveillance devices at the former’s Thailapuram residence in early June was perhaps the final breaking point.
The son and father’s differences also exist over political alliances. Ramadoss has long favoured realigning with the AIADMK and its leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, hoping to leverage the PMK’s strength in the northern belt. Anbumani, however, has tilted toward the NDA and BJP, believing national relevance and greater autonomy lie in that direction.
Even though the AIADMK and BJP have revived their alliance, the disagreement between the father and son over this remains a strategic wedge.
If Anbumani takes over the party, as is expected, it will be with the unspoken blessing of parts of the BJP in Delhi. However, both the BJP and AIADMK will be careful not to alienate Ramadoss Senior, whose command on Vanniyar votes can’t be shrugged off. Sources said their major fear is the veteran joining hands with actor Vijay’s TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam), lending the new party both heft and credibility.