Former AIADMK minister S. Semmalai, who left the AIADMK in May, joined TVK at the Dharapuram campaign ground on 30 Sep 2026; CM Vijay welcomed him with the party shawl.
Former AIADMK minister S. Semmalai joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, in the presence of Chief Minister and TVK president C. Joseph Vijay, at the party’s by-election campaign meeting in Dharapuram, Tiruppur district.
When the Chief Minister arrived at the campaign ground, TVK functionaries and ministers received him. Semmalai, standing among those gathered to welcome him, greeted Vijay with the party shawl; the Chief Minister took the TVK shawl and placed it around Semmalai’s shoulders, formally welcoming him into the party (Dinakaran, Athiban TV, Minnambalam). It had been expected that he would join on the stage, and the welcome at the reception point quickly became a talking point in political circles.
A senior leader from the Salem region, Semmalai served as a minister in the AIADMK government led by J. Jayalalithaa that took office in 2001, and was long regarded as one of the party’s prominent faces (Nakkheeran). After the 2026 Assembly election results, amid infighting within the AIADMK, he announced in May that he was leaving the party, describing it as a difficult decision. He stayed away from active politics for the months that followed, without joining any party, until today (Dinakaran, ETV Bharat).
Semmalai’s move adds to a steady stream of AIADMK leaders who have crossed over to TVK since the election — including the former MLAs now contesting the Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections on the TVK ticket, and the AIADMK leaders who joined at Mamallapuram in July. His joining in the middle of the Dharapuram campaign, days before the October 6 polls, gives TVK a senior Kongu-region voice in the final week.
Sources: Dinakaran, ETV Bharat, Nakkheeran, Minnambalam, Athiban TV.
TVK Dharapuram Day 143