Bhagyaraj walks out of AIADMK, joins DMK

Chennai, April 5 (IANS) Tamil actor and film director K. Bhagyaraj - known as the heir of 70s matinee idol and late founder of AIADMK M.G. Ramachandran - Wednesday joined rival party DMK.

He met DMK president M. Karunanidhi and formally joined the party in the presence of actors Napolean and Thyagu on Wednesday.

Justifying his switchover, Bhagyaraj said: "The faithful followers of M.G.R. in the AIADMK are sidelined, blacked out and eventually driven out."

He listed the names of K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Hande and Rajaram, "all faithful followers of MGR", who have been forced to leave the AIADMK.

"Semmalai, Saidai Duraisamy and Erode Muthusamy, all MGR followers, have not been given AIADMK tickets to contest in these elections," he added.

Bhagyaraj had actively campaigned for the AIADMK in the 1984 and 1989 assembly elections.