AIADMK ex-minister K T Pachaimal, BJP leader S Vijayadharani join TVK

Pachaimal, who previously served as the Forests Minister in the cabinet of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, joined TVK along with other former AIADMK MPs, MLAs, and officials, including former Tirunelveli Mayor E Bhuvaneswari and former MPs R Vanaroja, N Balaganga, and A Elavarasan. Vijayadharani, a three-time Congress legislator and advocate, had joined the BJP in 2024 after resigning as an MLA. Both Pachaimal and Vijayadharani, who are from the Kanyakumari district, joined the TVK in the presence of its general secretary 'Bussy' N Anand and senior leader Aadhav Arjuna.

TVK reported that over 2,500 functionaries from various political parties, including 37 prominent personalities, joined the party. This wave of defections follows the TVK's emergence as the ruling party. Several former AIADMK ministers, such as M C Sampath, Kadambur C Raju, Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, and N R Sivapathi, have previously switched to TVK. In May, four AIADMK legislators resigned and joined the TVK, causing a crisis for the Dravidian party.

Following her induction, Vijayadharani expressed her satisfaction with joining TVK, citing its efforts to combat corruption, ensure women's safety, and address drug-related issues in the state. She stated that the party offered her an opportunity to serve the people. However, AIADMK's state women's wing deputy secretary Gayathri Raguram criticized the trend of defections, suggesting that many individuals are joining TVK for personal gain, positions, or fleeting fame, without a genuine commitment to the party's development agenda or manifesto promises. Raguram highlighted ongoing public issues like power cuts and water shortages, implying that some leaders are prioritizing personal ambitions over public welfare.