Tamil Nadu AIADMK Faces Mass Defections to Ruling TVK Party
On June 6‑7, 2026, more than 300 members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) shifted to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) at its Panaiyur headquarters near Chennai. The wave included former AIADMK ministers Vellamandi Natarajan and Anandan, ex‑MLAs such as Govindasamy, Natraj, Sadhan Prabhakar and several senior leaders like Udumalai Radhakrishnan, M C Sampath, Kadambur Raju and N R Sivapathi. TVK officials present were General Secretary N Anand, Revenue Minister K A Sengottaiyan and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna. The defections were framed as a response to AIADMK’s inability to serve the public after its April 23 election loss and internal crisis.
Former BJP MLA A G Sampath also joined TVK, alleging a lack of internal democracy in the BJP and a failure to understand Tamil Nadu’s sentiments. Former DMK MLA Karunanidhi and actress Joy Cresenta announced their membership, citing support for women and good governance. TVK is led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, whose leadership the newcomers say reflects the ideals of former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The exodus deepens AIADMK’s challenges as it seeks to rebuild ahead of upcoming local body elections.