Another Setback For AIADMK, Former Ministers, MLAs Join Vijay's TVK

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 in Chennai on Saturday.

The AIADMK leaders who joined TVK include Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, MC Sampath, Kadambur C Raju and NR Sivapathi. All of them joined the ruling party in front of TVK General Secretary Anand and General Secretary for election campaign management Aadhav Arjuna.

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 Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on the floor of the Assembly, 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 AIADMK ministers quitting the party and joining TVK is the latest instance of the trend.

Udumalai Radhakrishnan unsuccessfully contested in the Udumalpet constituency. Similarly, Sampath could only take third place in the Cuddalore Assembly constituency. Likewise, Kadambur Raju has also lost in the Kovilpatti constituency.

On May 29, more than 300 AIADMK members joined TVK at its Panaiyur headquarters in Chennai. The defectors included former AIADMK Ministers Vellamandi Natarajan, Anandan, as well as former MLAs Natraj and Sadhan Prabhakar.

KA Sengottaiyan was the first key leader to leave AIADMK to join TVK. He stood firmly by Vijay's side well before the election.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)