Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 6 : Former AIADMK MLA VR Karthik Thondaiman on Wednesday joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Karthik Thondaiman reasoned that AIADMK is "not on right path" and accused his former party of "encouraging religious propaganda".
"AIADMK is not on right path. I have different of opinion how AIADMK functioning. It have started to encourage religious propaganda," Thondaiman said after joining DMK.
Along with CM Stalin, Thondaiman was welcomed into the party in the presence of DMK Principal Secretary KN Nehru, Organising Secretary R.S. Bharathi, Minister S Ragupathy and party spokesperson TKS Elangovan, according to a release.
This marks a significant addition to the DMK's strength in the Pudukkottai region ahead of the state assembly election in 2026.
Earlier CM Stalin met with Marumalarchi Dravida Munetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko to assure that the alliance against BJP and AIADMK remains strong.
After meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Vaiko said that his party was in support of the DMK-led alliance in the State.
He also asserted that Hindutva forces, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would never be allowed to establish their hold in Tamil Nadu.
"We are with the alliance. In the soil of Periyar and Anna, we will never allow the Hindutva forces- RSS and BJP in Tamil Nadu. We will fight till the end," Vaiko told ANI. "There won't be any coalition government. Tamil Nadu will neither opt for nor accept it. There will be an absolute majority for the DMK in the ensuing assembly elections. DMK will win on its own absolute majority."
Earlier, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan trained guns on Tamil Nadu assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), labelling him as the "slave of the BJP".
Reacting to the exit of expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) from the NDA alliance, Elangovan said that EPS wants to protect himself and his family and thinks that his leadership position would be "weakened" if people like OPS remain in the party.
"The BJP must have thought that because EPS is with them, he would not accept OPS or something like that. When the Prime Minister came, he did not meet OPS, which may also be the reason. He doesn't want them to come back to AIADMK. He believes that if these people return, his leadership position will be weakened. EPS is not a leader; he is now a slave of the BJP," the DMK leader told ANI.