Former DMK Erode Central district secretary Thoppu Venkatachalam quits party

Former DMK Erode Central district secretary and former Tamil Nadu minister Thoppu Venkatachalam announced his decision to quit the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday, August 31, 2026. Speaking to media persons in Perundurai, the senior politician stated that he was resigning from the party's primary membership days after being removed from his organizational post.

Venkatachalam, also known as N.D. Venkatachalam, said he would formally send his resignation letter to the DMK leadership. He attributed his exit to internal friction, explaining that he could no longer continue in the party owing to mental anguish caused by bitter experiences. He extended his gratitude to the high command for assigning him the position of Central district secretary during his time with the organization.

Addressing questions about his future political moves, Venkatachalam stated that he has no immediate plans to join any other political party or organisation, nor is he making active efforts to switch sides. He added that he harbored no grievances against local DMK leader and former minister S. Muthusamy, choosing instead to move forward without focusing on past conflicts.

Venkatachalam reiterated his respect for DMK president M.K. Stalin, noting that the leader had shown immense affection toward him during his association with the party. He emphasized that his future public activities would strictly center on advocating for the development and welfare of the Perundurai constituency.

Expressing disappointment over the region's socio-economic status, Venkatachalam criticized the lack of progress in Perundurai, calling its backwardness unfortunate. He specifically pointed out operational shortcomings and delays in key local development projects, including the Perundurai-Kodiveri Combined Water Supply Scheme and the Athikadavu-Avinashi water project.

Venkatachalam's resignation marks another transition in his decades-long political career in Tamil Nadu. A prominent regional leader, he originally served as an AIADMK minister and won the Perundurai Assembly constituency in both the 2011 and 2016 elections under the AIADMK banner. After being denied a nomination in the 2021 Assembly election, he ran as an Independent, leading to his expulsion from the AIADMK before he formally joined the DMK in July 2021.

In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Venkatachalam contested the Perundurai seat on a DMK ticket, securing 60,609 votes. He lost the election to AIADMK candidate S. Jayakumar, who received 70,302 votes, winning by a margin of 9,693 votes. Following that election, Jayakumar also resigned from the AIADMK and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

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