VELLORE: In the wake of claims by AIADMK’s urban district secretary SRK Appu that 12 DMK council members were in touch with him to join the party, the Vellore town unit of the ruling party is reportedly conducting a thorough investigation to determine, who among its 44 council members were planning to cross sides.

Appu revealed about the DMK councillors during an agitation organised on Thursday in Vellore by the AIADMK as part of a state-wide protest to condemn and demand action against the Pallavaram DMK MLA and his family for ill-treating their servant maid, a teenage girl, from the Dalit community. Appu also stated that the councillors wanted to change their allegiance as the DMK top brass did nothing to counter or contain the anti-incumbency wave.

In the 60-member Corporation Council, the AIADMK has 7 representatives, the BJP and PMK one each and there are two Independents. “Already one Independent has joined the AIADMK and the revelation about the 12 councillors has made the ruling party fidgety,” a senior DMK functionary not wanting to be named admitted to this reporter.

Though the AIADMK cannot grab power from its rival in the council even if 12 councillors switch sides, what scared DMK insiders was Appu stating that the council would soon be disbanded.

Meanwhile, incensed DMK functionaries revealed that no councillor would move to the rival party as long as they were with the ruling dispensation. “Appu is making such claims for mere publicity without understanding the real politics. He forgets that we can also retaliate in a similar manner,” a DMK functionary cautioned.