Setback for AIADMK as 4 ex-ministers join TVK

FOur former ministers including 2 MLAs from the All republic of india Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) united the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) company on th, marking the latest political blow for the Dravidian party in the two months since the assembly election.The four leaders, C Vijayabaskar, M R Vijayabhaskar, S Valarmathi, and MSM Anandhan, along with 2,500 supporters, joined TVK at an event in Mahabalippuram, some 65 km east of Chennai.Among the four, C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai) and MR Vijayabhaskar (Karur) won the recent assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. Before joining the TVK, they formally submitted their resignations to the assembly speaker JCD Prabhakar.It may be recalled that four AIADMK MLAs — Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram), Esakki Subaya (Ambasamudram) — have resigned from their party and joined the TVK.Following the resignations, six assembly seats have now fallen vacant.Speaking on the occasion, Vijayabaskar said he took the decision after holding a series of talks with the people of his constituency, Viralimalai.“You will see the ‘main picture’ in the Delta regions soon... Just like how five district secretaries, (Thanjavur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkotai, Karur) 10 former MLAs and former ministers have come over now, you will soon see…even more will come to support and add strength to TVK.”Recalling that he and MR Vijayabhaskar had been “bearing various pains and agonies during the last five years,” C Vijayabaskar said: “If our intention was only to get into power, we would have supported the DMK. Please understand that. During the last five years, MR Vijayabhaskar faced 43 cases and I faced some legal cases too.”Underlining that the importance of a partnership with the TVK was emphasised to the AIADMK’s high command before the assembly elections, he said: “Even after the elections were held, the majority of the people voted for a change in government. At that time too, we even said, we will offer outside support (to TVK). But we were not heard.”Claiming that talks were ongoing to forge a partnership between the DMK-AIADMK, he said: “When behind-the-scene talks were going on with DMK, we clearly expressed that we did not agree with it.”Former MLA MR Vijayabhaskar — who served as transport minister under the Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet during the AIADMK regime — slammed Palaniswami for removing 32 district secretaries as they went against the party high command and appointing new people to replace them. “It is not good for a party,” he said.Maintaining that the TVK party “invited” them to join, Vijayabhaskar said: “I have been a member of (AIADMK) for 42 years and have held various positions. After immense mental agony and several rounds of discussions with our supporters, we finally took this decision. We consulted our party workers without rushing and based on their wishes we joined today.”Meanwhile, DMK MP and party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi took a dig at the event, stating: “I heard that a washing machine similar to the one used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the North has now arrived in Tamil Nadu as well.”She asked: “They say that this new Tamil Nadu model washing machine can even wash away gutkha stains. Is it true?”The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran, whose party contested in the April 23 assembly polls under the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance said former ministers joining TVK was purely “selfish”.“Palaniswami is not a leader like MGR or Jayalalithaa. If people have issues with him, it should have been solved within the party. These people are AIADMK men and they have become MLAs several times and ministers in the past. If they are not happy with the high command, they could have sorted out the issue. But they did not,” he told reporters.Led by actor-turned-politician, C Joseph Vijay, TVK won 108 seats in the assembly election, falling 10 short of the majority mark, and formed the government with outside support from the Congress, Left parties, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).