Four former ministers, including two MLAs from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), joined the ruling Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on Thursday, marking the latest political blow to the Dravidian party in the two months since the Assembly elections.
The four leaders, C Vijayabaskar, MR Vijayabhaskar, S Valarmathi and MSM Anandhan, along with 2,500 supporters, joined TVK at an event in Mahabalipuram, about 65 km east of Chennai.
Of the four, C Vijayabhaskar (Veralimalai) and MR Vijayabhaskar (Karur) won the recent legislative elections in Tamil Nadu. Before joining TVK, they formally submitted their resignations to the association’s president JCD Prabhakar.
It may be noted that four AIADMK MLAs – Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam), S Jayakumar (Birundurai), P Satyabhama (Dharapuram), Isakhi Subbaiah (Ambasamudram) – resigned from their party and joined TVK.
After the resignations, six seats in the Assembly became vacant.
Speaking on the occasion, Vijayabaskar said that he took the decision after holding a series of talks with the people of his constituency, Veeralimalai.
“You will see the ‘main picture’ in the delta areas soon…just as five district secretaries (Thanjavur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karur) 10 former district lieutenants and former ministers have now come, you will see soon…more will come to support and add strength to TVK.”
Pointing out that he and Mr Vijayabhaskar had “endured various pains and torments during the last five years,” C Vijayabhaskar said: “If our intention was only to come to power, we would have supported the DMK. Please understand that. In the last five years, Mr. Vijayabhaskar has faced 43 cases, and I have faced some legal cases as well.”
Stressing the importance of partnering with TVK for the AIADMK high command ahead of the Assembly elections, he said, “Even after the elections were held, a majority of people voted in favor of changing the government. At that time also, we said, we will extend external support (to TVK). But no one heard us.”
Claiming that talks are on to establish a DMK-AIADMK partnership, he said, “When behind-the-scenes talks were taking place with the DMK, we clearly expressed our disagreement with it.”
Former MLA MR Vijayabhaskar – who served as Transport Minister in the Edappadi K Palaniswami government during the AIADMK regime – criticized Palaniswami for sacking 32 district secretaries when they opposed the party high command and appointing new people to replace them. “It’s not good for the party,” he said.
Confirming that the TVK had “invited” them to join, Vijayabhaskar said: “I have been a member of the AIADMK for 42 years and held various positions. After immense mental anguish and several rounds of discussions with our supporters, we have finally taken this decision. We have consulted with our party workers without haste and based on their wishes we have joined today.”
Meanwhile, DMK MP and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi spoke about the event, saying, “I heard that a washing machine similar to the one used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the north has now reached Tamil Nadu as well.”
“They say the new Tamil Nadu washing machine can even remove gutka stains,” she asked. “Is that true?”
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dinakaran, whose party contested the April 23 elections under the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance, said the former ministers who joined TVK were completely “selfish”.
“Palaniswami is not a leader like MGR or Jayalalithaa. If people had problems with him, they should have been resolved within the party. These people are AIADMK men and have become MLAs several times and ministers in the past. If they were not happy with the high command, they could have solved the problem. But they did not,” he told reporters.
Led by actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay, TVK won 108 seats in the Assembly elections, 10 short of the majority mark, and formed the government with outside support from the Congress, the Left parties, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
