Orathanadu MLA R. Vaithilingam has formally resigned from his position as a Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the presence of Chuef Minister MK Stalin.
Vaithilingam, a former minister and longtime supporter of O. Panneerselvam (OPS), submitted his resignation letter in person to Assembly Speaker M. Appavu at the Secretariat in Chennai.
In recent years, Vaithilingam had been aligned with OPS after the latterās split from the AIADMK, but political realignments in the run-up to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have seen several leaders change loyalties.
Following his resignation, Vaithilingam formally joined the ruling DMK at an event held at the Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters. He was welcomed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin alongside other senior leaders.
His move comes amid turbulence within the AIADMK, where factional disputes have led to multiple resignations and party exits by senior leaders ahead of the upcoming polls.
Vaithilingam has previously served as a minister in the State government under J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi Palaniswami and represents the Orathanadu constituency in the Thanjavur district.