Chennai, Jul 11 (IANS): Expelled AIADMK leader and former minister Thoppu N.D. Venkitachalam joined the DMK along with several supporters in presence of chief minister M.K. Stalin at the DMK headquarters, "Anna Aruvaliyam" on Sunday.

The former minister was a two-term MLA from Perundurai in 2011 and 2016 and was Minister for Environment and Revenue in the Jayalalithaa government from 2011-2016.

The AIADMK had denied an assembly ticket to Venkitachalam in 2021 elections and he entered the electoral fray as an Independent. However, he lost the polls and the AIADMK expelled him from the party.

Venkitachalam is a senior leader in Erode district of Tamil Nadu and has a good grassroots following. While joining the party he said, "If the Chief Minister, directs me, in a month's time I will enroll around 25,000 people in the DMK from other parties."

The former minister also said that he would strive to strengthen the DMK in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. Venkitachalam is a powerful leader in the Kongunadu area and with the new agitation against the formation of a separate Kongunadau area by the Central government gaining momentum, the presence of the former minister who has grassroots support will strengthen the DMK in the AIADMK strong holds.

Tamil Nadu water resources minister and senior leader, S. Duraimurugan, former union ministers and DMK senior leaders, T.R. Balu, A. Raja, and S. Muthusamy were present at the party headquarters when Thoppu ND Venkitachalam joined the DMK.