Stories
Veteran AIADMK Minister Semmalai Joins Ruling TVK, Citing Party Fragility
N
News18•30-09-2026, 16:15
Veteran AIADMK Minister Semmalai Joins Ruling TVK, Citing Party Fragility
- •Former AIADMK Minister S Semmalai, 81, joined the ruling TVK in the presence of party founder and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, over four months after quitting AIADMK.
- •Semmalai, a former loyalist of Edappadi K Palaniswami, cited "anguish" over the AIADMK's lack of efforts to strengthen the organization and a "fragile" party situation as reasons for his departure.
- •He is a veteran politician from Salem region, a former Lok Sabha MP (2009-14), and served as a minister in the 2001-06 AIADMK Cabinet under late CM Jayalalithaa.
- •Semmalai's move follows a trend of prominent AIADMK leaders, including C Vijayabaskar and K A Sengottaiyan, joining the TVK after its success in the Assembly polls.
- •The TVK has stated that loyalists of late MGR and J Jayalalithaa would continue to join the party, which relegated AIADMK to the third position in the state Assembly after its surprise win in April 2026 elections.
Key Questions Answered
Former AIADMK Minister and veteran leader S Semmalai joined the ruling TVK party in Dharapuram on Wednesday in the presence of party founder and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
Semmalai resigned from the AIADMK in May 2026, more than four months before joining the ruling camp, expressing anguish over the party's defeat in the Assembly election and a lack of efforts to strengthen the organisation.
Following their surprise win in the April 2026 Assembly elections and the AIADMK being relegated to the third position in the state Assembly, a string of well-known functionaries and former ministers quit the party due to internal rifts and disappointment to join the ruling TVK.
