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The exodus of salient determination faces from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) continued connected Saturday (June 6, 2026), with 4 erstwhile Ministers — M.C. Sampath, N.R. Sivapathi, Kadambur C. Raju, and Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan — crossing implicit to the ruling party.
They joined the TVK astatine its office successful Panaiyur connected the outskirts of Chennai successful the beingness of enactment wide caput and Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand and a fewer different Ministers.
Barring Mr. Sivapathi, the different 3 erstwhile Ministers who joined the TVK had contested and mislaid the 2026 Assembly election. Mr. Sivapathi won the Thottiyam Assembly conception successful the 1991 predetermination and the Musiri Assembly constituency successful 2011. He besides served arsenic Education Minister. Mr. Sampath, who represented the Nellikuppam Assembly conception betwixt 2001 and 2006 and the Cuddalore Assembly conception betwixt 2011 and 2021, served arsenic a Minister handling assorted portfolios.
Mr. Raju had won the Kovilpatti Assembly conception 3 times successful a enactment since 2011. He besides served arsenic Minister for Information and Publicity betwixt 2016 and 2021. Mr. Radhakrishnan won the Udumalaipettai Assembly conception successful the 2016 and 2021 elections and besides served arsenic a Minister. Earlier, helium served arsenic Chairman of Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Television (TACTV).
Leaders correspond assorted regions
These erstwhile Ministers correspond 4 antithetic zones of the State. Mr. Sampath is from Cuddalore territory (north), Mr. Sivapathi hails from Tiruchi territory (central), Mr. Raju is from Thoothukudi territory (south), and Mr. Radhakrishnan is from Tiruppur territory (west). Their induction into the TVK is apt to fortify the ruling enactment successful the respective zones.
Several erstwhile territory secretaries and erstwhile MLAs of the AIADMK, including A. Govindasamy (Pappireddipatti), M. Murugan (Mudukulathur), V. Panneerselvam (Kalasapakkam), V.K.R. Srinivasan (Arcot), and Sadhan Prabhakar (Paramakudi) joined the TVK. Former AIADMK MP from Tenkasi M. Vasanthi, and erstwhile DMK MLA from T. Nagar J. Karunanidhi besides joined the party.
The latest defections travel adjacent connected the heels of 4 AIADMK MLAs — Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam), S. Jayakumar (Perundurai), P. Sathyabama (Dharapuram), and Esaki Subaya (Ambasamudram) — resigning their Assembly rank and joining the TVK wrong days of being elected to the Assembly past month. A fewer days ago, erstwhile AIADMK Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan and erstwhile Mylapore MLA R. Natraj besides joined the TVK.
