Exodus Begins as Over 1,000 DMDK Cadre Join AIAD

CHENNAI: A week after a heated verbal spat between Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Leader of the Opposition Vijayakant in the State Assembly indicated an end to the alliance the two parties
GLAD TO BE IN: CM J Jayalalithaa welcoming Ibrahim Rowther to AIADMK.
GLAD TO BE IN: CM J Jayalalithaa welcoming Ibrahim Rowther to AIADMK.

CHENNAI: A week after a heated verbal spat between Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Leader of the Opposition Vijayakant in the State Assembly indicated an end to the alliance the two parties shared during the last Assembly elections, more than 1,000 functionaries and members of the DMDK, including K Velmurugan, who unsuccessfully competed for the city mayor’s post in last October’s civic polls, joined the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday.

Also, Ibrahim Rowther, a noted Tamil film producer and a close friend of Vijayakant, who produced the super hit movie Captain Prabhakaran that gave Vijayakant his alias ‘Captain’, enrolled as a member of the AIADMK.

Many senior office-bearers, including election wing secretary K Jegaveerapandian, Tiruvannamalai district secretary and former MLA Jaison Jacob, medical wing secretary Ranipettai Dr Pari, and general council member G Kumar, were among those who have deserted the DMDK.

Rowther literally shaped the celluloid career of Vijayakant with blockbusters, including Pulan Visaranai and Poonthotta Kavalkaran. Though the filmmaker is a non-entity in politics, his decision to join the AIADMK is perceived as a loss of face for the DMDK chief.

The DMDK members joined the AIADMK in the presence of Jayalalithaa who wished them a bright future. “You have come to the AIADMK with hope and faith. Let me tell you that your hope will never fail.”

Former DMK MLA of Sankarankoil Gopalakrishnan, yesteryear actress Kuili, besides some CPI workers also joined the AIADMK.

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