COIMBATORE: Two former MLAs from the Salem region switched political camps on Sunday, with one joining the DMK and another moving to AIADMK.
Former Yercaud assembly constituency MLA KT Elayakannu, who represented the AIADMK between 2001 and 2006, joined the DMK in Salem, in the presence of Tourism Minister R Rajendran and Member of Parliament SR Sivalingam.
After joining DMK, he blamed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for functioning as a puppet to the BJP. Several AIADMK cadres are dissatisfied with their party’s leadership and are likely to join the DMK, he added.
He also praised Chief Minister MK Stalin’s leadership and expressed confidence that DMK would return to power after the upcoming assembly polls.
In contrast, a DMK leader joined the EPS-led party. Former Omalur MLA A Tamizharasu joined AIADMK in the presence of the AIADMK chief. Tamizharasu served as a PMK MLA from 2006 to 2011 and joined the DMK in 2019 in the presence of party chief MK Stalin. He expressed disappointment with the DMK government for failing to fulfil its poll promises, citing it as a reason for joining AIADMK.
Further, the ex-MLA said he didn’t join the AIADMK to seek any party posts or electoral opportunities and hoped that more cadres would follow suit.