Maitreyan ditches BJP once again, rejoins AIADMK

CHENNAI: Former Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan returned to the AIADMK fold, ending a year-long journey with the BJP. He reunited with the party in the presentce of general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday.

"The ruling government is busy organising car race (Formula 4 street car race) and other extravagant events and not concerned about the people's welfare. There is a need for the return of the AIADMK government. I hope only Edappadi K Palaniswami at the helm of affairs can bring in a change,” Maitreyan said.

Once considered close to late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the former MP was initially with the saffron party.

Alluding that the AIADMK and its leader (EPS) are the only alternatives to the ruling DMK in the state, he said he had returned to the party to work for change.

He joined the party after calling on party general secretary Palaniswami at his residence on Greenways Road in Chennai.

Maitreyan was dismissed from the AIADMK on October 8, 2022, for siding with expelled AIADMK leader and former CM O Panneerselvam. Maitreyan was the Organising Secretary of AIADMK at the time of his expulsion.

On June 9, 2023, he returned to the BJP in the presence of then BJP general secretary and Tamil Nadu in-charge C T Ravi. He was at the time given the posting of national executive member in the BJP.

Maitreyan was previously with the BJP till early 2000. But he later quit the saffron party and joined the AIADMK.

In his early days, Maitreyan was a member of RSS. In 1991, he became an executive member of the BJP in Tamil Nadu and from 1995 to 1997, he had served as General Secretary of BJP's Tamil Nadu unit.

Later, he held also several posts before resigning from the party in 2000. In the same year, he joined AIADMK, won the confidence of J Jayalalithaa, and was thriceelected to the Rajya Sabha by her.

(With UNI inputs)