Chennai:
Over 150 cadres of Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the presence of party president MK Stalin on Sunday.
The development comes a day after the MDMK ended its long association with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance alliance on Saturday.
The MDMK workers hail from various districts, including Sivaganga, Tiruvallur, Virudhunagar and Tirupur districts, strengthening the DMK’s foothold in these areas.
The workers were inducted into the DMK at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai, a party statement said on Sunday.
Some of the key cadres who have joined the DMK include Sivaganga district secretary Se Sevanthiyappan, Tiruvallur district secretary TRR Senguttuvan, MDMK publicity secretary Azhagusundaram, Virudhunagar district secretary RMS Sekhar, MDMK state deputy minister (election work) ‘Thanjavur’ Viduthalaivendhan, TRR Mathiyazhagan who was a former member of the general council of MDMK.
Senior KDP leader and party treasurer TR Balu, Principal Secretary KN Nehru, Deputy Secretary General and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi were present on the occasion, the statement added.
Hizb ut Tahrir approached MDMK leaders about the switch by party cadre but they did not respond.
MDMK chief Vaiko, his son and party MP Durai Vaiko met TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. Early this month, Durai Vaiko declared that it was “unfortunate” that MDMK MLAs could not support TVK in the assembly as they contested for the DMK symbol.
The MDMK has two MLAs in the TN assembly.
