3 AIADMK e ministers, cadres join TVK
Chennai: Three former AIADMK ministers, Dr C Vijayabaskar, M R Vijayabaskar and M S M Anandan along with their supporters, joined the ruling TVK in
Chennai: Three former AIADMK ministers, Dr C Vijayabaskar, M R Vijayabaskar and M S M Anandan along with their supporters, joined the ruling TVK in the presence of its general secretary 'Bussy' N Anand at Mamallapuram, about 57 km from here, on Thursday, evoking a "washing machine" jibe from the DMK.Both C Vijayabaskar, who resigned as Viralimalai MLA, and M R Vijayabaskar, who gave up the Karur seat after winning on the AIADMK's Two Leaves symbol, and former legislators, including Anandan, joined the ruling dispensation lauding the governance under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.Read more: Tamil Nadu: Ministers C Vijayabaskar, MR Vijayabaskar to join TVK on July 2Welcoming them into the party, TVK chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan said they had come to the right party after becoming disillusioned with the present AIADMK leadership that was functioning like a "corporate firm" rather than being a political organisation.Defending their exit from the Dravidian major, Sengottaiyan who had quit the AIADMK in November 2025 after he was expelled by its general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, lashed out at the latter accusing him as an epitome of "betrayal.""It is the AIADMK leadership that betrayed the party workers by trying to align with the arch rival DMK. The fountainhead of betrayal is there," Sengottaiyan said.He hailed TVK founder and Vijay as "everlasting CM".TVK leaders, including general secretaries Aadhav Arjuna and Arunraj were present on the occasion.The newly inducted members were presented a shawl each and welcomed into the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founded by Vijay in February 2024.Commenting on the mass exodus from the AIADMK, DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi said on 'X': "I heard that a 'washing machine' of the kind the BJP used to employ in the north has now arrived in Tamil Nadu too.
They say this new Tamil Nadu model machine can even wash away gutka stains... is it true?"The DMK MP was apparently referring to the alleged involvement of C Vijayaskar in the Gutka scam case which was transferred to the Special Court for Criminal Cases involving MPs and MLAs, from the CBI.The DMK IT wing quoting an editorial in the party organ 'Murasoli', said in a post on social media that former Transport Minister M R Vijayabaskar was arrested in a high-profile Rs 100 crore land grabbing and fraud case. He was arrested from Kerala and brought to the state for a probe and lodged in Tiruchirappalli prison.The Income Tax department has also registered a separate case in this regard, the post said on 'X' and asked "what merit does Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has to talk about corruption?"AIADMK women's wing state deputy secretary Gayathri Raghuram sarcastically remarked "Promising change." The TVK is sending the wrong message to the people by including politicians who are accused of corruption. The people who trusted the TVK are being let down, as those with controversial backgrounds are being
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