Chennai: Former AIADMK MP and the party’s Villupuram strongman R Lakshmanan quit the party and joined the DMK in the presence of party president M K Stalin in Chennai today.
Speaking to reporters later, he said, “there is infighting in the AIADMK over the CM candidate. In the DMK, party president Thalapathi (Stalin) is firmly in control and I will work hard to make him the next Chief Minister.”
A doctor by profession, Lakshmanan was nominated to Rajya Sabha by former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. After her demise, Lakshmanan sided up with the O Panneerselvam faction.
After OPS and EPS factions merged, Lakshmanan was not renominated to the upper house after his term ended last year and was sidelined in the party, sources close to him said.