The DMK leader and former Union Minister of State for Finance, Gingee. N. Ramachandran, joined the AIADMK in the presence of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa here on Thursday.
A Dravidian movement veteran, Mr. Ramachandran was a heavyweight in the DMK in the 1980s and early 1990s when he served as secretary of the erstwhile South Arcot district. When Vaiko quit the DMK and floated the MDMK, Mr. Ramachandran was one of those who joined him. In 2003, he resigned as minister from the NDA government after his secretary was caught taking a bribe of Rs. 4 lakh. In 2008, he, along with another senior leader L. Ganesan, was expelled from the MDMK after they violated a party whip and voted against a no-confidence motion against the UPA government.
