Overview
- A group of 37 prominent politicians, including former BJP MLA S. Vijayadharani and ex-AIADMK minister K. T. Pachaimal, formally enrolled in Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam at the party’s Panaiyur headquarters on Saturday.
- TVK leaders at the induction said the intake is part of weekend enrollment drives and that more than 2,500 functionaries from several parties have joined the party in recent weeks.
- Vijayadharani, who built her career in the Congress before joining the BJP in February 2024 and losing Vilavancode in the 2026 assembly poll, told reporters she joined TVK because the party is delivering on promises such as fighting corruption and improving women’s safety.
- Opposition figures and some local commentators described many defections as driven by personal ambition and pointed to unresolved public-service problems in the state such as power cuts, water shortages, and delayed government payments.
- The wave of sign-ups strengthens TVK’s organisational reach in southern Tamil Nadu and could reshape local electoral competition by shifting party networks and grassroots leadership ahead of future contests.