Family politics is dominating in AIADMK, says MGR's relative

Family politics has taken a prominent place in AIADMK and "it is not what it was" when founded, a relative of the party founder M G Ramachandran said on Monday.

M C R Praveen, who joined BJP along with his father M C Rajendran and aunt Leelavathy on February 24, also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was truly serving the public.

"Today's AIADMK is not what my grandfather (MGR) founded. He was very particular that it was being founded against corruption and family politics.

On Monday, family politics is happening in AIADMK," he said in an apparent reference to V K Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran holding top two posts of general secretary and the deputy, respectively. "It was not easy (to walk out) of AIADMK," he told PTI.

He said in today's AIADMK, only "the name and fame" of M G Ramachandran was being used "but not his policies, especially those regarding public service."

"Only Modi is truly serving the public and therefore we decided to join the BJP," he said. Praveen, Rajendran and Leelavathy had joined the BJP in Modi's presence at Coimbatore on February 24.

Leelavathy, daughter of MGR's brother M G Chakrapani, could not be reached for comment as she was indisposed. Rajendran is Chakrapani's son. Leelavathy had reportedly said nobody was following the vision of MGR, as Ramachandran was popularly addressed, in public welfare and that Modi alone could do that.

She had donated her kidney to MGR when he was ailing in 1984. Two of MGR's, his adopted daughter Geetha Madhumohan and his adopted son Appu Ravindran's wife Nirmala, had joined BJP last month on his birth centenary. Praveen said he and his aunt had also then extended their support to BJP and expressed their willingness to join the party.