FORMER AIADMK BIGWIGS JOIN TVK, SIGNAL DEEPENING EXODUS

Chennai: The exodus from AIADMK gathered pace on Saturday as former ministers Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, Kadambur C Raju, N R Sivapathi and M C Sampath, along with around six former MLAs and hundreds of supporters, joined the ruling TVK at its headquarters in Panaiyur on Saturday.

The leaders arrived with sizable contingents of cadres in a show of strength and had to wait outside the party office for nearly two hours before entering through the packed gates amid jostling supporters. According to information shared by TVK, as many as 310 functionaries, including former ministers, MLAs and district secretaries from various political parties, joined the party on Saturday. The majority of them are from AIADMK and AMMK.

The induction is the latest in a steady stream of AIADMK leaders and functionaries shifting allegiance to TVK following its rise to power. Only a select few were allowed to enter the party office for the formal induction in the presence of the rural development minister and TVK general secretary N Anand.

Sampath struck an emotional note, saying that while AIADMK leaders once moved at the mere glance of late CM J Jayalalithaa, they now take direction from Vijay. Comparing CM Joseph Vijay to AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, he said Vijay would continue to lead the state as long as he lives. Radhakrishnan said the former AIADMK leaders had come to TVK in search of “respect” and nothing else. Kadambur Raju, while joining TVK, recalled the role played by Vijay fans in his 2011 electoral victory and said he was joining the party to repay that support.

“AIADMK has slipped to the third position and its vote base has been declining since Amma’s demise. We had no other option,” said one of the new entrants, echoing the mood among party members. He added that many more would follow suit from AIADMK in the coming days. Most of the new entrants believe that the ruling party offers better political prospects.

Welcoming the leaders, N Anand said there were no factions within the party and assured “equal respect for all entrants”. He said the experience of former ministers would strengthen the young party and help it win the forthcoming polls in all 234 assembly segments.

Minister Aadhav Arjuna described AIADMK as the mother - “Thai Katchi” - of TVK and credited its cadres for contributing to TVK’s electoral success. Reiterating his earlier claim that 90% of AIADMK functionaries would eventually join TVK, he said 50% had already done so and blamed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for the party’s present condition.

Arjuna also extended an invitation to dissatisfied DMK leaders. “TVK remains open to loyalists of former CM M Karunanidhi,” he said, adding that former DMK MLA J Karunanidhi joined the party during the event.