Chennai

On the day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Tamil Nadu, DMK's former Member of Parliament K.P. Ramalingam joined Tamil Nadu BJP.

Former DMK MP, K P Ramalingam joined the BJP here on Saturday and he said he would try to convince the expelled Dravidian party leader M K Alagiri to join the saffron party. Ramalingam joined the BJP in the presence of national general secretary and Tamil Nadu incharge, C T Ravi and Tamil Nadu unit president L Murugan at the party office here ahead of the visit of senior leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the metropolis. 

The former MP of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha said he would try to convince Alagiri, whom he supported to the hilt while in the DMK to join the BJP adding however a decision has to be taken only by him.

"This will not only weaken DMK and its base but further strengthen BJP across the State," C.T. Ravi, BJP's National General Secretary and in-charge of party's Tamil Nadu unit opined.

In a tweet Ravi also said: "With Union Home Minister Sri @AmitShah  coming to Chennai today, LOTUS (BJPs election symbol) is going to bloom across Tamil Nadu in a very BIG way."

Ramalingam was removed from DMK in April for speaking against the party leadership.

He is the second leader from DMK to have joined BJP in the recent times.

Earlier former Assembly Deputy Speaker V.P. Duraisamy quit DMK and joined BJP.

Later DMK law maker K.K.Selvam also criticised DMK leadership and supported BJP. But Selvam denied that he had joined BJP.

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