Four Former AIADMK Ministers Join TVK Amid Fresh Wave of Defections
The defections follow a fresh wave of post-election realignment as three of the four former ministers lost the 2026 Assembly election, party sources said.
- On Saturday, June 6, 2026, four former AIADMK ministers—M.C. Sampath, N.R. Sivapathi, Kadambur C. Raju, and Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan—crossed over to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in Chennai.
- The AIADMK has faced a series of setbacks since its poor performance in the April 23, 2026, elections, prompting a steady exodus of prominent regional leaders to the ruling party.
- More than 300 AIADMK members joined the TVK on May 29, while other high-profile figures, including former Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan and Mylapore MLA R. Natraj, have also defected recently.
- Amid the political realignment, some former AIADMK MLAs separately joined the DMK in Chennai, where president M.K. Stalin welcomed them to the party's Kalaignar Arangam headquarters.
- Radhakrishnan stated their decision to join TVK aims to better serve the public, citing dissatisfaction with functioning under difficult circumstances within the AIADMK.
12 Articles
12 Articles
AIADMK faces big blow as 300 members including former ministers join TVK | Here's what they said
In a big blow to AIADMK, over 300 members from the party, including former ministers, officially joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday at the party headquarters in Panaiyur near Chennai, citing inability to serve the public properly under AIADMK leadership. Some of the former AIADMK Ministers joined the TVK in the presence of Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister N. Anand. TVK MLA P Venkataramanan says, "It was an honourable progra…
Four former AIADMK ministers join ruling TVK
Chennai: In yet another setback for the AIADMK, which faces a severe internal crisis, the party’s four former ministers and ex-MLAs have joined ruling TVK at its headquarters in Chennai on Saturday. The AIADMK leaders who joined TVK include Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju and N R Sivapathi. All of them joined the ruling party in front of TVK General Secretary Anand and General Secretary for election campaign management Aad…
Times of India
The Economic TimesAIADMK crisis deepens as four former ministers, ex-MLAs join ruling TVK in Chennai
AIADMK faces another blow as four former ministers and ex-MLAs defect to Vijay's TVK party. This follows a series of setbacks for AIADMK after the April 23 poll results. Several party functionaries have already switched allegiance to TVK. The latest defections include prominent figures who lost in recent elections. This trend highlights the ongoing internal crisis within AIADMK.
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