Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s main opposition party AIADMK suffered another significant setback on Saturday as four of its former ministers and senior leaders officially joined the ruling TVK at the party’s headquarters in Chennai. The leaders who switched allegiance include Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan, M.C. Sampath, Kadambur C. Raju, and N.R. Sivapathi. They were welcomed into the party in the presence of TVK General Secretary Anand and Election Campaign Management General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna. The latest defections add to the growing political challenges facing AIADMK following its disappointing performance in the recent Assembly elections.

The AIADMK has been grappling with internal divisions and a series of defections since the April 23 electoral defeat. Earlier, a group of 25 AIADMK MLAs defied the party whip and supported a confidence motion moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in the Assembly. Although some rebel legislators later reconciled with the party leadership, several others resigned and joined TVK. Political observers view the continued migration of senior leaders and party functionaries as a sign of deepening instability within AIADMK, which has struggled to regain momentum after its election setback.

The four former ministers who joined TVK stated that they felt relieved and satisfied after making the political switch. Their move follows another major development on May 29, when more than 300 AIADMK members, including former ministers and ex-MLAs, joined TVK at its Panaiyur headquarters. Several of the defecting leaders had contested the recent Assembly elections but failed to secure victories in their respective constituencies. With influential figures continuing to leave the opposition camp, TVK appears to be strengthening its political position while AIADMK faces increasing pressure to address its internal crisis and prevent further erosion of its support base.