Chennai:
The expelled leader of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), KP Ramalingam, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of Union Interior Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai on Saturday.
“It is a great sign that Ramalingam joined today, which will not only weaken the DMK but will strengthen the base of the BJP,” said CT Ravi, head of BJP in Tamil Nadu.
Ramalingam is a former legislator and loyal acquaintance of MK Alagiri, an expelled DMK leader and the son of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Ramalingam was first suspended from DMK 2014 for backing Alagiri, who has denied reports that he will also join the BJP.
Ramalingam was stripped of the main DMK membership and his post as secretary of the party’s agriculture wing in April.
A BJP leader said they would brief Shah on developments in Tamil Nadu and discuss the 2021 assembly elections. Shah is planning to launch projects worth 67,378 million rupees during his visit to Tamil Nadu. He will also meet with the state BJP central committee, officials, and district secretaries.
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