In another setback to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, the brother of party founder Vijayakant has switched loyalty to the ruling AIADMK led by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Vijayakant’s brother, A. Palraj, and his wife Venkatalakshmi, were among those who joined the AIADMK in the presence of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who gave them party membership cards at a public meeting held here on Friday.
The DMDK has fielded D. Sivamuthukumaran, in the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency.
The actor-turned-politician has been struggling to keep his flock together and the latest setback has involved his own brother moving over to the rival camp.
Previously eight MLAs have switched their loyalty to the ruling AIADMK. In December 2013, party presidium chairman, Panruti S. Ramachandran, had quit the DMDK and resigned from the post of MLA from Alandur citing ill health only to join the AIADMK in February 2014.