Two prominent Dalit leaders from the DMK and the PMK joined the AIADMK on Friday. Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, an evangelised Dalit and a former Information Minister in the Karunanidhi-led Government during 2006 to 2011, called on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in her Poes Garden residence and declared his intention to work for the AIADMK.
Ilamvazhuthi had been the Dalit poster boy of the DMK since 1989. He had represented the DMK five times in the State Assembly from the Egmore constituency. After the elevation of Stalin as the party’s heir apparent, Ilamvazhuthi became a non-entity in the DMK. He did not fit into the plan of things envisaged by Stalin and was slowly eased out of all positions in the party.
last March saw the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) raiding the houses owned by Ilamvazhuthi in various places in Chennai. During the previous regime of the AIADMK (2001 to 2006), Ilamvazhuthi had been arrested in connection with various charges including attempt to murder.
The DVAC had registered a case against Ilamvazhuthi under the Prevention of Corruption Act for acquiring assets of Rs 1,56,20,745, disproportionate to his known sources of income during the period 2006 to 2010.
The move by Ilamvazhuthy to join the AIADMK is seen as a reflection of the resentment brewing among the DMK cadre. Most of the second-wrung leaders of the DMK is realising the fact that hard working party workers could raise only to the level of retainers of the Karunanidhi clan. With Stalin and Alagiri, the two sons of Karunanidhi and their sons waiting in the wings to hijack the party leadership, there is not much space in the DMK for non-family members, said a long-time associate of Karunanidhi.
There were reports about grumblings in the DMK following Karunanidhi’s decision to re-nominate Kanimozhi for a second term to the Rajya Sabha. With senior leaders like Tiruchi Siva being side-lined to promote Kanimozhi, muted rumblings were discernible in party forums.
E Ponnusamy, another Dalit leader of the PMK who is also a former Union Minister of State for petroleum and chemicals during 1999 to 2011, too joined the AIADMK on Friday. Ponnusamy had ceased to be a member of the PMK for quite some time and was in the look out for a suitable oasis to “serve the people”.
“We were expecting Ponnusamy’s exit and there is nothing surprising in his move. He was made a member of the PMK and a Union Minister only because of the fact that he was a hostel-mate of Ramdoss, the founder of the party,” said a spokesman of the party.