Panruti S. Ramachandran, former leader of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, joined the AIADMK on Thursday. He said he was retiring from politics on health grounds in December last year.
A press release from the AIADMK said Mr. Ramachandran met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, along with his wife Shanthi and son R. Sampath Kumar, and became the member of the party. An engineer by training, Mr. Ramachandran worked for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, before taking a plunge into politics.
He was a Minister in the DMK government, but joined the AIADMK launched by MGR. He was also a Minister in the ministry headed by MGR and addressed the United Nations on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. When he fell out of Jayalalithaa’s favour, he joined the PMK and became the first MLA of the party in 1991.
He could not continue for long and launched his own outfit, before joining the DMDK. In 2011 elections he was elected form the Alandur constituency, but resigned his post after difference of opinion with Vijayakant.
