CHENNAI: Former AIADMK minister S Semmalai is set to formally join Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Wednesday evening in the presence of party chief and Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who is scheduled to campaign in Dharapuram.

Semmalai, who has stayed away from active politics for the past few months, met Minister Thamizhan Parthiban in person on Wednesday ahead of his induction into the TVK.

In May, Semmalai had announced that he would retire from active politics after the Assembly election. At the time, he had said the AIADMK had weakened and that its leadership had failed to take adequate steps to strengthen the party.

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 given an opportunity to contest the recent Assembly election on an AIADMK ticket.

A veteran AIADMK leader who has been associated with the party since the MGR era, Semmalai served as a minister in former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's Cabinet in 2001. He has been elected as an MLA four times and has also served as a Member of Parliament once.

His move comes at a time when several former AIADMK ministers and functionaries are joining the TVK.

Semmalai hails from Salem district, which is also the home district of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.