Chennai, 4 Nov

The expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's loyalist and Alangulam MLA PH Manoj Pandian, joined the ruling DMK in the presence Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday.

The MLA from Tenkasi district had backed former chief minister Panneerselvam since their expulsion by the AIADMK general council in July 2022. He has been a member of the AIADMK since 1993 and had served as joint secretary of the party's advocates' wing, and he was an MP.

Minutes after joining the DMK at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters, he said that he would resign from the MLA post.

"The AIADMK has thrown to the winds the rules and ideology of the party founder M G Ramachandran. It is functioning like a branch of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Only the DMK is upholding the principles and ideology of the Dravidian movement," Pandian told reporters.

The 54-year-old leader alleged that the AIADMK did not remain like the organisation that was run by its iconic leaders MGR and J Jayalalithaa.

In July, resenting the present leadership, especially its closeness with the BJP, AIADMK leader and former state minister Anwhar Raajhaa had joined the DMK.

As to why he joined the ruling party, Manoj, son of formerAssembly speaker PH Pandian, said, "I have taken this crucial decision after considering the leadership of Chief Minister M K Stalin.

He is a leader who upholds Dravidian ideology, stands firm in the face of challenges, and pursues progress without compromise."

He said that he believed that Stalin embodied the spirit ofsocial justice and inclusive governance. The DMK president welcomed him with a warm smile and an open heart, he added.