Published Jun 06, 2026 | 6:40 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 06, 2026 | 6:40 PM
Senior TVK leaders, including ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna, welcomed AIADMK members to the party.
Synopsis: Former AIADMK ministers and hundreds of party functionaries joined the ruling TVK at its Panaiyur headquarters, intensifying the political crisis within the AIADMK after its 2026 election defeat.
In a further setback to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, as many as 310 leaders, including former ministers, joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday, 6 June.
Senior TVK leaders, including ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna, welcomed them to the party at the organisation’s headquarters in Panaiyur, Chennai.
The latest wave of defections has created fresh political ripples in Tamil Nadu, especially as four sitting AIADMK MLAs had already resigned from the party and joined TVK.
Also Read: AIADMK MLAs join TVK
The induction event took place at TVK’s Panaiyur headquarters on June 6 in the presence of senior party leaders, including general secretary and minister Anand and minister Aadhav Arjuna.
Among those who joined the ruling party were four former AIADMK ministers, Udumalai Radhakrishnan, MC Sampath, Kadambur Raju and NR Sivapathi.
AIADMK’s former Karnataka state secretary, V Pugazhendhi, also joined TVK.
Apart from these senior leaders, AIADMK functionaries, ranging from district-level office-bearers to union, branch, and IT wing administrators, joined the TVK. The TVK said 310 AIADMK members have joined its ranks.
Also Read: AIADMK seeks CBI probe into TVK’s ‘horse-trading’
Reacting strongly to the developments, AIADMK deputy general secretary KP Munusamy criticised the leaders who switched sides and also lashed out at Minister Aadhav Arjuna.
“Those who enjoyed positions and power in the AIADMK have now joined TVK. During the event, Minister Aadhav Arjuna made several irresponsible remarks. I strongly condemn his comments,” Munusamy said.
He further said, “If Aadhav Arjuna had remained in one party with ideological commitment and loyalty to a leader, he would understand what political attachment means. Instead, like a migratory bird searching for opportunities everywhere, he moved from the DMK to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, then to the AIADMK, and finally entered TVK and became a minister.”
Munusamy also criticised Arjuna’s claim that AIADMK votes had helped TVK come to power.
“Aadhav Arjuna shamelessly says that TVK won because AIADMK cadre voted for them. AIADMK workers are loyal cadres who work hard for the leadership they believe in without expecting personal benefits. Opportunists like Aadhav Arjuna are insulting those cadres. He must stop making such remarks; we will launch direct protests against him,” he warned.
Since the election results were announced on 4 May, the AIADMK has been facing continuous setbacks.
The cracks within the party became visible during the trust vote held in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on 13 May. Defying the party whip, 25 MLAs led by CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani voted in support of the TVK government.
Following this, Palaniswami removed all of them from their party posts.
Later, four MLAs from the Shanmugam camp — Maragatham Kumaravel, S. Jayakumar, M. Sathyabama and Esakki Subaya — resigned from the Assembly and formally joined the TVK.
With this, the AIADMK’s strength in the Assembly dropped from 47 to 43 MLAs.
There were also speculations that former minister C Vijayabaskar and another senior leader from the Shanmugam group would join TVK, though both continue to remain in the AIADMK.
The latest defections, led by former ministers who failed to win in the 2026 Assembly election, are being viewed as another major setback for the AIADMK. Many believe the number of leaders crossing over to TVK could increase in the coming weeks.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
