CUDDALORE: After sitting with the treasury bench for most part of the present Assembly, the dissident MLAs of the principal opposition party, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), are expected to join the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) soon. Sources told Express that the sitting members are eagerly looking forward to apply for party tickets in the coming elections.
“As their MLA term is coming to an end, all the eight dissident MLAs are now looking forward to formally joining the AIADMK before the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. This may happen in next few weeks. They are also planning to apply for party tickets to contest in the Assembly elections, mostly for the constituencies that they are representing now,” informed a source close to the rebels.
Out of total 29 MLAs who won as DMDK candidates, nine including senior leader Panruti S Ramachandran rebelled against the leadership. Of these, Ramachandran resigned his MLA post and formally joined the AIADMK, while the rest simply moved from the opposition to the treasury benches inside the House.
“The dissidents are very happy that the AIADMK government has sanctioned many development projects in their constituencies and also implemented various welfare schemes there,” added the source.
During the last parliamentary elections, they worked for AIADMK candidates. One of them, Tamilazhagan from Thittagudi constituency, had started wearing dhoti that has as border the AIADMK colours.
Also, despite continuing to be a DMDK MLA at least formally, he had even applied for the block secretary post in the AIADMK during the intra-party elections that were held last year.
Another dissident, Virudhunagar MLA Pandia Rajan, has often been participating in TV debates, strongly supporting the ruling party and its government.