DMDK, PMK, Puthiya Thamizhagam dissidents join AIADMK

The 10 have resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Sunday.

Dissidents from the DMDK, PMK and Puthiya Thamizhagam, who have quit from the Tamil Nadu Assembly, pose with AIADMK general secretary after joining the party in Chennai on Thursday. Photo: DIPR

Ten former MLAs, including eight from the opposition DMDK who had quit as legislators on Sunday, on Thursday joined the AIADMK in the presence of party general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

The DMDK MLAs are K. Pandiarajan, C. Arun Pandian, S. Michel Royappan, R. Sundarrajan, T. Sureshkumar, K. Tamil Azhagan, R. Santhi and Arun Subramanian. The two others are Kalai Arasu (PMK) and A. Ramasamy (Puthiya Tamizhagam).

DMDK chief Vijayakant had on Sunday lost his position as Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly since the strength of his party fell to 20 from 28 after the resignation of the eight MLAs.

The MLAs had tendered their resignations a day after the last session of the 14th Assembly ended. Polls are scheduled in Tamil Nadu in about two months.