CHENNAI: Exodus from the AIADMK to the ruling TVK continued, with former MPs, MLAs and a former state minister K T Pachaimal, joining the TVK on Saturday.
Also, BJP leader S Vijayadharani and several others joined the ruling party.
Former minister Pachaimal, former Tirunelveli Mayor E Bhuvaneswari, former AIADMK MPs R Vanaroja, N Balaganga, and A Elavarasan and former AIADMK MLAs S Ravi and S Murugesan, were among the prominent personalities who joined the ruling party on Saturday.
Pachaimal had served as Forests Minister in the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa-led Cabinet.
Three-time Congress legislator Vijayadharani, also an advocate by profession, had joined the BJP in 2024 after resigning as MLA from Vilavancode constituency.
She had formerly been president of Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress.
Both Vijayadharani and Pachaimal, who hail from the southern coastal Kanyakumari district, joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam along with their supporters, in the presence of its general secretary 'Bussy' N Anand. TVK senior leaders including Aadhav Arjuna were present on the occasion.
TVK said over 2,500 functionaries from several political parties including 37 prominent political personalities joined.
After the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam emerged victorious and managed to form the government despite lacking a simple majority, several leaders from the AIADMK defected to TVK.
Recently, former state ministers - M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju, Udumalai K Radhakrishnan and N R Sivapathi switched loyalties to Vijay's party.
Former ministers Vellamandi N Natarajan and MSM Anandan too had transitioned to the TVK.
In May, four AIADMK legislators resigned as MLAs and joined the TVK triggering a crisis in the Dravidian major.
"The TVK has brought about a transformation in Tamil Nadu. It is eliminating corruption, bringing safety to women, and removing the drug culture in the state. Definitely, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is achieving what he promised (during the Assembly polls)," Vijayadharani later told reporters.
She said she was happy joining the TVK as the party offered her work to serve the people.
Flaying those defecting from the AIADMK, the party's state women's wing deputy secretary Gayathri Raguram said, "many people seem eager to join TVK for victory, position, or a few minutes of fame, without seriously considering what the party is capable of achieving development or growth or whether it can truly fulfill its manifesto promises."
People continued to face real issues such as power cuts, water shortages, delayed payments to government employees, and concerns about women's safety. Instead of focusing on these pressing public problems, some so-called leaders appear more interested in their own personal ambitions and political gains, she said in a social media post.
"Before supporting or joining any party, it is important to assess its vision, capabilities, and commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the people," Gayathri said.
While the common people regretted voting for the TVK, several position-seekers were jumping ship in pursuit of power and personal gain. "Instead of focusing on the challenges faced by the public, some seem more interested in securing posts and advancing their own political ambitions," she alleged.