Vellamandi Natarajan with TVK general secretary and Minister N. Anand
Chennai, May 28
In a significant political setback for the AIADMK, former Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister and senior party leader Vellamandi Natarajan on Thursday joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), further intensifying the political churn within the opposition party and fuelling fresh allegations of horse trading in Tamil Nadu politics.
Natarajan formally joined the TVK in the presence of the party’s general secretary and Minister N. Anand at the party headquarters in Chennai late on Wednesday night.
A veteran leader from Tiruchi and a long-time grassroots organiser in central Tamil Nadu, Natarajan had been associated with the AIADMK for several decades. He was elected from the Tiruchi East Assembly constituency in 2016 and later served as Tourism Minister in the AIADMK government headed by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Following Jayalalithaa’s death, Natarajan sided with former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam during the intense factional battle within the AIADMK. However, after Panneerselvam aligned with the DMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Natarajan returned to the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led AIADMK camp.
Speaking to reporters after joining the TVK, Natarajan said the AIADMK had been unable to recover from internal divisions and repeated electoral setbacks after Jayalalithaa’s demise.
“The party has suffered continuous splits and defeats. I repeatedly urged the leadership to sit together and collectively decide the future course, but my suggestions were ignored. Even after the elections, the divisions continued. This is not healthy for the movement,” he said.
He also praised the TVK leadership, stating that the party reflected the ideological legacy of Periyar, C.N. Annadurai, M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.
Natarajan’s switch comes amid growing turmoil within the AIADMK after four of its MLAs recently resigned and joined the ruling party. AIADMK MP Dhanpal has demanded a central agency probe into the defections, alleging large-scale financial inducements and political horse trading by the ruling camp.
