Tamil Nadu politics witnessed fresh turmoil on Wednesday after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami removed senior leaders, including C. Ve. Shanmugam, from party positions following their support to Chief Minister Vijay during the Assembly floor test.

The disciplinary action came hours after Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam won the confidence motion in the Tamil Nadu Assembly with support from several opposition MLAs, including a section of AIADMK legislators.

According to reports, the AIADMK leadership acted against leaders accused of defying the party whip during the trust vote. The rebellion was led by senior figures such as Shanmugam and S P Velumani, who had openly questioned Palaniswami’s leadership in recent days.

Speaking after the action, Shanmugam defended the rebel camp and questioned the legality of the whip appointment process within the party. He alleged that newly elected MLAs should first convene to elect the legislature leader and whip instead of direct appointments being made by the party chief.

The internal rift within AIADMK has intensified since the formation of the Vijay-led government in Tamil Nadu. Reports suggested that around 30 AIADMK MLAs extended support to the new administration, creating fears of a major split within the party.

Meanwhile, Vijay thanked legislators who backed his government during the confidence vote and said the new administration would function in the interest of the people of Tamil Nadu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen travelling with a significantly smaller convoy in Delhi, with visuals showing only two vehicles accompanying him instead of the larger motorcade usually associated with VVIP movement.

The video, which quickly went viral on social media, showed the Prime Minister travelling in a Range Rover and a Toyota Fortuner during movement in the national capital. Reports said the reduction is part of a broader austerity and fuel-conservation initiative being implemented by the government.

Normally, the Prime Minister’s convoy includes around 12 to 15 vehicles, such as armoured cars, escort vehicles, jammer units, decoy cars and an ambulance under Special Protection Group (SPG) security arrangements. Officials, however, clarified that mandatory security protocols remain intact despite the reduction in the convoy size.

SPG implementing revised convoy measures

According to reports, the SPG has already started implementing the revised convoy arrangements during the Prime Minister’s recent visits to Gujarat, Assam and Hyderabad. The move is being seen as part of efforts to encourage fuel conservation and sustainable practices amid rising global energy concerns.

The development comes days after PM Modi appealed to citizens to reduce fuel consumption, use public transport where possible and adopt austerity measures in view of global uncertainties impacting energy markets.

Reports also suggested that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other ministers have started reducing convoy sizes and reviewing fuel-saving measures in their respective departments.

Congress leader Pawan Khera appeared before the Assam Crime Branch in Guwahati on Wednesday in connection with the ongoing passport controversy case linked to Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

The investigation began after allegations were made by Congress leaders claiming that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple passports and had overseas business interests. Following the remarks, an FIR was filed and Assam Police initiated a probe into the matter.

Khera arrived in Guwahati after being directed to cooperate with the investigation. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had granted him anticipatory bail while asking him to participate in the probe whenever summoned by the authorities.

The controversy has triggered sharp political exchanges between the Congress and the BJP in Assam over the past several weeks. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had strongly denied the allegations made against his wife and warned of legal action.