CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Secretary P. Shanmugam on Wednesday strongly criticized AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) for diminishing the role and relevance of the Communist parties in the state.

EPS, during a campaign event in the Ambai constituency, claimed that the Communist parties have become insignificant in Tamil Nadu politics—surviving merely as subordinate partners within the DMK-led alliance, focused more on seat-sharing than public engagement.

Responding via a post on X, Shanmugam challenged these remarks by questioning EPS’s own record of public involvement. “You accuse Communists of compromising for seats. But how many agitations have you conducted over people’s issues? Are you ready to publish a list? We are ready to list every struggle we have led,” he asserted. “When it comes to people’s causes, Communists have always been the champions in the public arena.”