Chennai | Marking significant political crossovers ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, former Chief Minister O Paneerselvam loyalist and ex-AIADMK minister R Vaithilingam on Wednesday joined the ruling DMK while AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran rejoined the NDA.
A very prominent ex-AIADMK face, the 71-year old Vaithilingam, MLA from the Orathanad constituency in Thanjavur district, met Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin and joined the ruling party.
In the presence of BJP leader Piyush Goyal, AMMK chief Dhinakaran returned to the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu, in which the AIADMK is the key constituent and leads the bloc in the state. Dhinakaran who had been strongly opposing Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) said "the fight between his party and the AIADMK is like sibling rivalry."
The Anbumani-led faction of PMK on January 7 joined the NDA, which is all set to put up a show of strength in a mega rally on January 23 at Maduranthakam near here in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to participate.
The 62-year old Dhinakaran said he has forgotten bitterness and joined hands with EPS to usher in Amma's (late J Jayalalithaa) regime. Palaniswami wholeheartedly welcomed Dhinakaran and said: "Let us unite with a shared commitment to public welfare and work together to liberate the people from the dominance of the DMK family regime."
Dhinakaran who quit NDA in September 2025, rejoining the alliance is also seen as a victory for BJP leader K Annamalai who had lauded the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief for the support to the BJP especially during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when the AIADMK snapped ties.
Welcoming Dhinakaran, Goyal said the NDA would work together and defeat the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Briefing reporters, the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry said, "I am honoured and delighted, personally very happy that my good friend and senior leader and my brother Dhinakaran ji has decided to come back to the NDA family. He was serving with my father in the Rajya Sabha during 2004-2007, and since then I have seen his good work, his popularity, his leadership skills."
Alongwith Panneerselvam (OPS), Vaithilingam was expelled from the AIADMK on July 11, 2022. Since then he had continued to be a follower of OPS who heads the AIADMK Cadres Rights Retrieval Organisation.
Vaithilingam joining the ruling DMK is yet another setback for OPS. The ex-chief minister's two other prominent loyalists, Manoj Pandian and JCD Prabhakar had recently joined the DMK and TVK, respectively. Another OPS supporter, Perambalur district based Kunnam RT Ramachandran has declared that he would soon join the DMK.
Popular AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan recently joined actor-politician Vijay-led TVK.
Vaithilingam presented a floral bouquet and a shawl to Stalin in the presence of deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, senior DMK leaders, including K N Nehru and TKS Elangovan.
Later, Vaithilingam flayed the AIADMK stating it was not functioning 'effectively' under the leadership of Palaniswami.
"The people of Tamil Nadu are praising and hailing Chief Minister (M K Stalin) today because he is implementing the schemes that fulfil everyone's needs. I am now associating myself with the DMK, which (former Chief Minister) C N Annadurai declared as the mother organisation (Thaai kazhagam)," he told reporters.
VK Sasikala, confidante of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa termed the move unfortunate and said even people in Vaithilingam's constituency would not accept this decision. He reportedly tendered his resignation as a legislator from Orathanad ahead of joining DMK.
As soon as he arrived at the party office, Vaithilingam was received by DMK leader V Senthil Balaji along with party supporters.
Responding to a query, Vaithilingam said he took the decision because the elections are fast approaching in Tamil Nadu, and a decision has to be taken soon. "Since there was a delay in taking a decision (by O Panneerselvam and his team), I have joined the DMK."