Overview
- Pandian joined the DMK in a ceremony at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai in the presence of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.
- He said he would submit his resignation as MLA on Tuesday evening and noted that his seat cannot be retained after leaving AIADMK under the Representation of the People Act.
- He criticized the AIADMK for abandoning its founders’ ideology and described it as functioning like a BJP branch, while praising the DMK’s Dravidian principles.
- Reports characterize the defection as a setback for O. Panneerselvam’s camp following recent internal realignments in the AIADMK.
- Senior DMK leaders Duraimurugan, Kanimozhi and former Speaker V. Avudaiyappan attended; his background includes stints representing Alangulam and Cheranmahadevi, with coverage disputing whether he served in the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha from 2010 to 2016.