CHENNAI: Four-time AIADMK MLA R Vaithilingam on Tuesday joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
He was in the O Paneerselvam faction of AIADMK. Only recently Manoj Pandian, another AIADMK MLA , had joined DMK.
Representing the Orathanadu Assembly Constituency, from AIADMK R Vaithilingam joined the DMK in the presence of party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin. Prior to joining the DMK, he tendered his resignation from the MLA post to Assembly Speaker M Appavu.
Vaithilingam was elected as MLA from Orathanadu four times between 2001 and 2021. In the 2016 Assembly election, he was defeated by DMK candidate Ramachandran, popularly known as Bullet Ramachandran. Following the defeat, then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa nominated him to the Rajya Sabha.
After completing his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Vaithilingam contested the Orathanadu seat again in the 2021 Assembly election and won.
With his resignation from the Assembly and subsequent induction into the DMK, the strength of the AIADMK in the House has come down from 63 to 62. In the 15th Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the AIADMK had won 66 seats.
He also served as a Minister in the Tamil Nadu government during the periods 2001–2006 and 2011–2016.