In a significant development, former Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan, who joined the BJP last year, called on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and rejoined the party. He visited Palaniswami at his residence here and appealed to the former chief minister, in a letter, to induct him again into the party and it was accepted, a party release said, adding the former MP has quit the BJP and he had been admitted again into the AIADMK.
He was expelled from the AIADMK in October 2022 for anti-party activities, which was supported by expelled leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
Sixty-eight-year-old Maitreyan was with the BJP during the 1990's and he had contested unsuccessfully from the south Chennai Lok Sabha constituency in the 1996 general polls.
In July 1999, he joined the AIADMK and he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in January 2002 for the first time. He was sent to the upper house twice later (2007-2013 and 2013-2019) by late AIADMK matriarch Jayalalithaa.
His first term ended in June 2004 as he only filled a vacancy following the death of Tamil Maanila Congress founder and veteran Congress leader G K Moopanar in 2001.
In June 2023, he joined the BJP again, after a gap of over 20 years, and he was later made a member of the party's national executive.
(With inputs from PTI)
