Chennai, May 18 : The internal crisis within the AIADMK has deepened further as the partyâ??s growing factional battle spread across district units in Tamil Nadu, triggering tensions and prompting police intervention in several places.

Supporters of Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and the rival faction led by former Ministers S.P. Velumani and C.Ve. Shanmugham are increasingly engaged in a struggle for control, leading to party offices being locked and brought under security watch.

Following similar developments in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, and Karur, the latest flashpoint emerged in Dindigul, where police stepped in to prevent a confrontation between rival groups seeking control of the district party unit.

The Dindigul dispute has brought two influential leaders and former ministers -- Natham Viswanathan and Dindigul Srinivasan -- into direct conflict. The differences surfaced after EPS removed several district-level functionaries believed to be aligned with the rebel faction.

While Natham Viswanathan has backed the Velumani-Shanmugham camp, Dindigul Srinivasan has remained firmly with EPS. Supporters of Viswanathan sought police protection to enter the district office, while Srinivasanâ??s supporters opposed the move, resulting in police sealing access and preventing both groups from entering the premises to avoid any law-and-order situation.

Later, Srinivasan held a meeting with his supporters and reiterated that the AIADMK general council had unanimously accepted Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the partyâ??s general secretary and undisputed leader.

Responding to questions regarding the rebel MLAs, he said the matter would be decided according to legal procedures and indicated that action against them remained inevitable.

Meanwhile, the Velumani-Shanmugham faction intensified efforts to convene an emergency general council meeting aimed at challenging the current leadership structure.

Supporters of the rebel camp have reportedly begun collecting signatures from general council and executive committee members across the state and claim they have already secured support from more than 1,000 members. At the same time, the EPS camp has continued pressing for action against the 25 rebel MLAs accused of violating the party whip during the Assembly trust vote.

/IANS