CHENNAI: Manoj Pandian, who was Alangulam AIADMK MLA, joined the DMK by meeting Chief Minister MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam on Tuesday. He officially resigned from his MLA post later in the evening.
After the AIADMK split into factions, Pandian had aligned himself with former chief minister O Paneerselvam. Since then, he had been vocal in criticising AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
However, sources said it came as a surprise to many that he suddenly switched to the DMK. He signed the membership form and formally enrolled as DMK member.
Speaking to the media, Pandian said, “Currently, DMK and its leader Stalin are able to protect the Dravidian ideology and fight for the rights of Tamil Nadu. Hence, I have taken this decision after much careful thought. The present AIADMK is not like what it was during the period of MG Ramachandran and Jayalalitha. They never mortgaged AIADMK to any other party. It is unfortunate that the present AIADMK depends on another party and acts according to their directions. AIADMK has thrown to the wind the ideologies of its founding leaders. Now AIADMK has become a branch of BJP.”
He questioned Palaniswami as to why he formed an alliance with BJP going against his assurance that he would not join hands with the saffron party. “He did it to save himself and his family” he said.
Later, Pandian said he had informed O Paneerselvam over phone about him joining the DMK.
To a query whether he would contest from Alangulam in the upcoming Assembly election, he said DMK leadership alone will decide about it.
