NEW DELHI: Several leaders from Tamil Nadu, including 15 former MLAs and an ex-MP, joined the BJP here on Wednesday as the ruling party looks to strengthen its presence in the southern state in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Leaders from AIADMK including former Minister Gomathi Srinivasan, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Rajeev Chandrasekar, L Murugan, and BJP State president K Annamalai in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The 15 MLAs include former DMDK MLA K Thamizh Azhagan from Thittakudi and former Congress MLA from Andimadam R Thangaraju. Two former AIADMK MLAs, SE Venkatachalam from Salem and Muthukrishnan from Kanyakumari, who joined the BJP recently during the 'En Mann En Makkal Yatra' of Annamalai were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, KP Ramalingam, who oversaw the event, told reporters: "This is just a starting. Former MLAs have come to the fore now. The present MLAs will come to the BJP later. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, one-third of the present DMK MLAs and half of the current AIADMK MLAs will join the BJP. We have been contacted by others regarding this. All those former MLAs who have joined the BJP today have come from the areas where the 'En Mann En Makkal Yatra' is over. People have overwhelmingly welcomed the Yatra and they started feeling nationalism and spiritualism as their principles. All these former MLAs had served the people for a long time. They have been in the public eye since the launching of the AIADMK (1972). We welcome all of them."
The AIADMK leaders have been taking pride in saying that the party remained intact despite many trials and tribulations it faced after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Now, a significant exodus of former legislators of the AIADMK has taken place. Seeking to downplay this development, AIADMK’s senior leader and former Minister SP Velumani, in Coimbatore said only retired people are joining other parties.
Those who joined the BJP on Wednesday in New Delhi at the BJP headquarters were: former AIADMK MLAs - K Vadivel (Karur), Challenger Duraisamy (Coimbatore), PS Kandasamy (Aravakurichi), MV Rathinam (Pollachi), R Chinnasamy (Singanallur), Gomathi Srinivasan (Valangaiman), VR Jayaraman (Theni), SM Vasan (Vedasanthur), PS Arul (Bhuvanagiri), R Rajendran (Kattumannarkoivil), Selvi Murugesan (Kangeyam) and A Rohini (Kolathur), S Gurunathan (DMK - Palayamkottai) R Thangaraju (Congress Andimadam). V Kulandaivelu, former DMK MP from Chidambaram also joined the BJP.