CHENNAI: Former AIADMK minister Semmalai joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the presence of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in Dharapuram on Wednesday, months after announcing his retirement from active politics.

Semmalai, who had stayed away from political activity since the Assembly election, met Minister and TVK's Salem Central district secretary A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban in person on Wednesday before formally joining the TVK.

In May, Semmalai had announced that he would retire from politics after the Assembly election. At the time, he had said the AIADMK had weakened and alleged that the party leadership had not taken adequate steps to strengthen it. He had also called for the AIADMK General Council to be convened after the election to analyse the reasons for the party's electoral defeat.

Semmalai was not allowed to contest the last Assembly election. He had been associated with the AIADMK since the MGR era and was elected MLA four times. He served as a Minister in former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's Cabinet in 2001 and had also been elected to the Lok Sabha once.

His entry into the TVK comes amid the movement of several former AIADMK ministers and leaders into the ruling party. Semmalai is a native of Salem, which is also the home district of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.