Chennai, May 28: The AIADMK has faced another political setback as former Tourism Minister and senior leader Vellamandi Natarajan has joined the ruling Tamilaga Vetria Kazhagam (TVK). This move has intensified political activity within the opposition ranks.
Natarajan, a prominent leader from Tiruchi, has long been associated with the AIADMK and is regarded as a strong grassroots organizer in central Tamil Nadu. He was elected as an MLA from the Tiruchi East constituency in 2016 and served as the Tourism Minister under the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha.
After Jayalalitha’s passing, Natarajan supported former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam during the power struggle within the AIADMK. However, ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, he returned to the faction led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami after Panneerselvam aligned with the DMK. Due to ongoing internal crises within the party, he has now shifted to TVK.
According to party sources, Natarajan met TVK General Secretary N. Anand late Wednesday night to formally join the party.
After joining TVK, Natarajan stated that the AIADMK has struggled to recover from internal divisions and electoral defeats since Jayalalitha’s death. He remarked, “I have been in the party for a long time. After Jayalalitha’s passing, the party fractured and faced continuous losses. I suggested that all leaders come together to determine the future direction, but my suggestions were ignored. Even after the elections, divisions persisted within the party. This is unacceptable.”
Praising the leadership of TVK, he noted that the party has embraced the ideologies of leaders like Periyar, C.N. Annadurai, M.G. Ramachandran, and Jayalalitha, which influenced his decision to join.
Natarajan’s move comes at a time when the AIADMK is already grappling with political instability. Recently, four of its MLAs have defected to TVK.
AIADMK MP Dhanapal has called for an investigation by central agencies into this matter, alleging that large-scale horse-trading and financial transactions are being used to lure away legislators in Tamil Nadu politics.
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