Former legislator and AIADMK organising secretary N. Murugumaran joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Dharapuram on Sunday after resigning from the opposition party, accusing its leadership of sidelining committed workers and favouring wealthy candidates.
Murugumaran, who represented Kattumannarkoil in the Assembly twice, met TVK general secretary and Rural Development and Water Resources Minister N. Anand before joining the party.
His departure adds to the defections of former ministers and party functionaries following the AIADMK's defeat in the Assembly election.
Announcing his resignation earlier in the day, Murugumaran said he remained dissatisfied over the denial of an opportunity to contest from his former constituency in the 2026 election.
He alleged that the leadership had encouraged him to work extensively in Kattumannarkoil but subsequently fielded him elsewhere. Murugumaran won the Kattumannarkoil seat on an AIADMK ticket in 2011 and 2016.
Although he sought to return to the constituency this year, the party nominated him from the reserved Tittakudi constituency. He secured 42,502 votes in Tittakudi, finishing behind DMK candidate C.V. Ganesan, who won with 63,106 votes, and TVK candidate Rajasekhar, who polled 60,477 votes to take second place.
In his resignation statement, Murugumaran accused the AIADMK leadership of giving preference to candidates with substantial financial resources while overlooking those who had worked sincerely for the organisation.
He claimed that ordinary workers, people from poorer backgrounds and those without crores of rupees were increasingly unable to secure political opportunities within the party. Such an approach, he argued, was pushing the AIADMK towards becoming the third force in Tamil Nadu politics.
ADMK kattumannarkoil party organizing secretary and former MLA murugumaran quit ADMK, met anand in dharapuram, and joined TVK. However, profile picture and name on his 'X' page still reflect his ADMK affiliation, they have not yet been updated. #admk #aiadmk #tvk #TVKVijay #murugumaran
— Mageshkumar Ramalingam (@mageshkumar27) October 4, 2026
Murugumaran also alleged that he had not been given due importance in Kattumannarkoil during the party's campaign programme centred on its pledge to "save Tamil Nadu" in 2026.
He maintained that he could have won from Kattumannarkoil had the leadership allotted him the seat. Describing the decision as a betrayal, he said he could not forget being encouraged to work day and night without receiving the opportunity he sought.
His switch to TVK comes as political parties conclude campaigning for the October 6 Dharapuram bypoll, bringing another former AIADMK legislator into the party's fold. The move follows his public criticism of candidate selection and the leadership's treatment of longstanding workers.
N. Murugumaran is a former AIADMK MLA and organising secretary from Tamil Nadu. He represented the Kattumannarkoil Assembly constituency twice, winning on an AIADMK ticket in 2011 and 2016.
In 2026, he resigned from the AIADMK after expressing dissatisfaction over the party's decision to deny him the Kattumannarkoil seat. He was instead fielded from the reserved Tittakudi constituency, where he finished third with 42,502 votes.
Murugumaran subsequently joined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and met TVK general secretary N. Anand before formally joining the party.
Why did Murugumaran leave AIADMK?
Murugumaran alleged that:
- Committed party workers were being sidelined.
- Candidates with greater financial resources were being given preference.
- Ordinary workers and those without substantial money were finding it difficult to get electoral opportunities.
- He believed he could have won from Kattumannarkoil if AIADMK had given him the seat.
His move to TVK adds another former AIADMK functionary to actor-turned-politician Vijay's party.
