Four Former AIADMK Ministers Join Ruling TVK Amid Deepening Internal Crisis

Four former AIADMK ministers and ex-MLAs joined the ruling TVK at its headquarters in Chennai on Saturday. According to the Press Trust of India, the move deepens a severe internal crisis for the opposition party.

The leaders transferring their allegiance include Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju and N R Sivapathi. They formally joined the ruling party in front of TVK General Secretary Anand and General Secretary for election campaign management Aadhav Arjuna, PTI said.

The AIADMK has faced continuous setbacks since its severe electoral debacle on April 23, according to PTI. This latest defection exacerbates the ongoing exodus of party functionaries.

Recent Electoral Defeats Context

The defecting leaders suffered significant losses during the recent assembly elections. Udumalai Radhakrishnan unsuccessfully contested for the AIADMK in the Udumalpet constituency. M C Sampath fared poorly in the Cuddalore Assembly constituency, securing only third place in the race.

Kadambur Raju lost his electoral battle in the Kovilpatti constituency, according to the news agency. These defeats preceded their decision to quit the party and join TVK. 

Ongoing Defection Trend Continues

According to PTI, the structural crisis began when a rebel group of 25 AIADMK MLAs supported a motion of confidence moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on the floor of the Assembly. This action directly violated the party whip, which had instructed members to vote against the motion.

Four of those rebel lawmakers resigned and joined TVK. This transition occurred before the remaining rebel group patched up with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami.

Since that initial fracture, several functionaries have quit the opposition party. On May 29, more than 300 AIADMK members defected to TVK at its Panaiyur headquarters in Chennai.

PTI said the defectors included former AIADMK ministers Vellamandi Natarajan and Anandan. They were joined by former MLAs Natraj and Sadhan Prabhakar. K A Sengottaiyan became the first key leader to leave the AIADMK for TVK, standing firmly by Vijay's side well before the election.