Madurai, February 26: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionary and former Minister V. Sathiyamoorthy on Thursday joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the presence of Union Minister and party’s south zone secretary M.K. Alagiri here.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Alagiri said that this was just a beginning. In the days to come, “you will see more people from different parties joining the DMK. This is because the government headed by M. Karunanidhi has fulfilled its promises to the people of Tamil Nadu,” he asserted.
With general elections scheduled for May 2011, Mr. Alagiri, in reply to a pointed query, said that he would not be surprised to see more cadres and leaders from big and small parties joining the DMK. Recently, AIADMK MLA L. Radhakrishnan from Koilpatti met Mr. Alagiri in Madurai but claimed that the visit need not be taken as joining the DMK as he had come only to make a representation to the DMK leader to get his grievances in the constituency redressed.
The MLA said that as the AIADMK did not give him a chance to speak in the Legislative Assembly, he had no other choice but to meet Mr. Alagiri. He later met Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai.
Mr. Sathiyamoorthy said the party founded by MGR had lost its sheen. Not only senior functionaries, but many loyal cadres were upset as they were humiliated by a group close to the party high command.
People with self-respect could no longer serve the AIADMK, he said, describing Mr. Alagiri as a “bold and brave” leader. He said that he would soon meet DMK president Mr. Karunanidhi and rope in more functionaries into the DMK.
Railway budget
Thanking Union Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee for magnanimously announcing several schemes for Tamil Nadu, Mr. Alagiri said that connecting new locations was a welcome move.
On a query about the AIADMK wooing the Congress, Mr. Alagiri said the DMK president and Congress leaders had elaborately spoken about it. The ties between the DMK and Congress were intact, he maintained.
Madurai urban district secretary K. Thalapathi, DMK central committee member N. Suresh Babu and Sholavandan MLA P. Moorthy were present on the occasion.
—–Agencies