Former Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) executive Kaliammal on Thursday (March 13) joined the AIADMK in Chennai in the presence of the party’s general secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).
Kaliammal had earlier served as the state coordinator of NTK’s women’s wing and rose to prominence in a short period. She contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2024, and also contested the 2021 Assembly election from the Poompuhar constituency.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, she quit NTK following differences of opinion with coordinator Seeman. The report said several parties, including the DMK, AIADMK and TVK, held talks to bring her into their fold, but she stayed away from joining any party for over a year.
Speaking to reporters after joining AIADMK, Kaliammal said she had remained in “people’s politics” during the period and would now continue her political journey with AIADMK from the coming election. She cited the party’s leadership and a democratic atmosphere as key reasons for her decision.
She also referred to issues such as price rise, law and order and women’s safety, saying people were facing daily problems and wanted change. On women’s safety, she said punishments for crimes against women should be made stringent enough to deter repeat offences.
