BJP's Dalit leader joins DMK on the eve of Erode East bypoll

The Tamil Nadu BJP is reeling under the exit of party leaders with the latest being the party's SC wing state general secretary, Vinayagamoorthy who joined the DMK.

BJP's Dalit leader joins DMK on the eve of Erode East bypoll
Source: IANS

Chennai, Feb 7 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu BJP is reeling under the exit of party leaders with the latest being the party's SC wing state general secretary, Vinayagamoorthy who joined the DMK.

The Dalit leader, who belonged to the SC Arunthathiyar community, said that he would work for the win of the DMK candidate in the Erode East bypoll.

The by-elections are scheduled to be held on February 27.

Speaking to IANS, the Dalit leader said that there are more than 35,000 Arunthathiyur voters in Erode East constituency and that he would travel across the constituency to campaign for the DMK candidate. He also said that he would dedicate the victory of the candidate EVKS Elangovan to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin.

While Vinayagamoorthy did not cite any reasons for leaving the BJP, the style of functioning of a police officer-turned-politician, Annamalai is creating discord in the BJP unit of Tamil Nadu, sources said. There have already been complaints of the state BJP president snubbing even senior party leaders in public.

Tiruchy Surya, son of powerful DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, who has joined the BJP and was the state convenor of the OBC Morcha of the party, had recently quit the BJP.