CHENNAI, June 6: In yet another setback for the AIADMK, which faces a severe internal crisis, the party’s four former ministers and ex-MLAs have joined ruling TVK at its headquarters here on Saturday.
The AIADMK leaders who joined TVK include Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju and N R Sivapathi. All of them joined the ruling party in front of TVK General Secretary N Anand and General Secretary for election campaign management Aadhav Arjuna. Similarly, Ex-MP A Ilavarasan also joined TVK.
Seven former AIADMK MLAs — Sundarraj, Rajamuthu, Manraj, Rajavarman Panneerselvam, M. Murugan and N Siva — have also joined TVK. Similarly, two former DMK MLAs — P Kamaraj and M S Shanmugam — have also joined the ruling party.
TVK sources further said that more than 2,500 individuals, including office bearers at the state, district, town, ward, block-units and different wings of AIADMK and DMK, joined TVK as members.
After the April 23 poll debacle, the AIADMK is facing a series of setbacks. First, a rebel group of 25 MLAs supported a motion of confidence moved by CM C Joseph Vijay on the floor of the Assembly on May 13, violating the party whip to vote against the motion.
Four of those rebel MLAs resigned and joined TVK before the rebel group patched up with General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami. Since then, several AIADMK functionaries have quit their party to join TVK.
The four former ministers and seven former MLAs quitting AIADMK and joining TVK is the latest development.
K A Sengottaiyan was the first key leader to leave AIADMK to join TVK. He stood firmly by Vijay’s side well before the election.(PTI)
