This Article is From Sep 06, 2013

Another DMDK leader defects, joins Karunanidhi's party

Chennai: A senior DMDK leader today joined M Karunanidhi's DMK, giving another jolt to the Vijayakant-led party, seven of whose MLAs have already shifted loyalty to ruling AIADMK.

DMDK Deputy General Secretary and former MP, S Austin, who had fallen out of favour with Vijayakant, joined the DMK in the presence of Mr Karunanidhi.

Mr Austin was accompanied by over 50 other DMDK functionaries including district office-bearers, a DMK release said.

Mr Austin, who had been initially with the AIADMK, is a former Rajya Sabha MP and also an ex-MLA. He had resigned from the DMDK, the main opposition party in the state Assembly, recently.

Though DMDK has 29 MLAs in the 234-member House, seven of the party MLAs had shifted loyalty to AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. They had met her seeking her help for constituency-related work.
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