Business Standard

Fresh setback for AIADMK as four former ministers 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, M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju and N R 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 CM 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