Key TTV Dhinakaran aide Senthil Balaji to jump boat and join DMK?

Many DMK sources confirmed that indeed, the bigwig of Dhinakaran's party in Karur had established contacts with the DMK leaders and is most likely to join the DMK.

Former Tamil Nadu Transport Minister Senthil Balaji (File | ANI)

CHENNAI: V Senthil Balaji, former state transport minister and one of the 18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs now functioning as the organising secretary of TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, is likely to join the DMK in a day or two.  Though Balaji could not be reached to confirm this despite many phone calls, DMK sources confirmed that indeed, the bigwig of Dhinakaran's party in Karur had established contacts with the DMK leaders and is most likely to join the DMK.

M Chinnasamy, a former minister and State farmers wing secretary of DMK, told Express, “I am sure Balaji will join the DMK. He has established contacts with the party high-command on his regard. But, I
am not sure about the date of his joining. He may join the party either on Thursday or Sunday when the statue of late DMK president M Karunanidhi is scheduled to be unveiled."

READ | Senthil Balaji's exit from AMMK brings rumblings within TTV Dhinakaran's party to fore

On the other hand, AMMK propaganda secretary Thanga Thamizh Selvan stoutly denied the reports saying “Only media is speculating about Senthil Balaji’s decision to join the DMK. He will not leave us.”
Meanwhile, some of the supporters of Senthil Balaji returned to AIADMK in Karur in the presence of Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar on Wednesday.

Senthil Balaji tasted his first electoral victory as a union councilor from Manmangalam panchayat in Karur union on 1996. He was elected as an independent candidate with the support of a local Kongu
caste outfit. Later, he joined AIADMK in 2000 and again he was given a ticket for Karur union councillor and he won the same seat for the second term on 2001.

Subsequently, he was given assembly ticket for Karur assembly segment on 2006 assembly general election and he managed to win Vasugi Murugesan, then district secretary of DMK, who contested against him by the DMK ticket. Later, he was again given a ticket for Karur assembly segment in 2011 and he won and was appointed as minister for Transport department. In this situation, he was dropped from the
cabinet on July, 2015.

Subsequently, he was given ticket for Arvakkuruchi assembly segment for 2016 assembly general election and he won but disqualified along with 17 others after they withdrew their support to the Chief Minister
'Edappadi' K Palaniswami.