Another AIADMK big fish to join DMK today

The newcomer is from the rival AIADMK camp this time. Former AIADMK minister Thoppu ND Venkatachalam is most likely to join the ruling DMK on Sunday. DMK sources in the know revealed that Venkatachalam, along with dozens of civic representatives, would meet chief minister MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam and join the DMK on Sunday. Venkatachalam, who was the environment minister in the AIADMK regime led by J Jayalalithaa, was expelled from the party after he unsuccessfully contested as a rebel candidate in his native Perundurai constituency in the April 6 Assembly election.

Venkatachalam, if he joins the DMK, which seems most likely, would be the latest from the AIADMK, especially in the minister’s rank to defect to the rival DMK camp. Venkatachalam who had managed to secure around 10,000 votes on his own in Perundurai could be a welcome addition to the DMK ahead of the urban local body elections. DT Next had reported earlier this week about the likely defection of Venkatachalam to the DMK camp.

A few days ago, AIADMK women’s wing secretary cum former Tirunelveli mayor Vijila Sathyanand had joined the ruling party. Attrition has been a cause of serious concern for the AIADMK since the regime change as the principal opposition party kept losing leaders left, right and centre, mainly in the recent weeks. The DMK was so successful that it had lured the man in charge of former chief minister K Palaniswami’s Edappadi constituency, thanks to incumbent state electricity minister V Senthil Balaji who has been doing the job of wooing his one-time friends to the DMK to enviable precision. The DMK, in fact, had got former AIADMK minister turned rebel AMMK deputy general secretary Palaniappan on board less than a fortnight ago.