Tamil Nadu polls: Tamil Nadu polls: Denied party ticket, AIADMK MLA crosses over to rival AMMK camp

Chennai: AIADMK MLA MSR Rajavarman on Thursday switched over to the rival Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam camp, a day after the ruling party did not re-nominate him from his Sattur constituency in southern Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK immediately expelled him from the party for anti-party activities, the party said in a statement. Rajavaraman, who represented Sattur in Assembly, said he and other office-bearers from his region have joined the AMMK. He accused the ruling party of not giving an opportunity to those who slogged for the party. After the Assembly election results in May, he claimed that AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran would “determine who would form the government.” After ‘Ehirkottai’ S G Subramanian, who was elected on the AIADMK ticket from Sattur was disqualified in 2017 following his support to Dhinakaran, Rajavarman was picked by the ruling party and he won the May 2019 bypoll. However, due to his reported ‘differences’ with Minister KT Rajenthra Balaji, the AIADMK did not field him again and instead named R K Ravichandran, Virudhunagar east district secretary as its nominee from the Sattur segment. Incidentally, SG Subramanian days ago rejoined the AIADMK after tendering an apology for siding with Dhinakaran about three years ago.