Chennai, Jan. 21 -- Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLA R Vaithilingam formally joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday, in a major political development ahead of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. With the polls approaching, major parties such as the DMK, AIADMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi and TVK have stepped up preparations across the state.

Vaithilingam, who was the joint coordinator of the AIADMK Cadres' Rights Retrieval Committee and considered second only to O Panneerselvam in the faction, formally joined the DMK in the presence of party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam.

Earlier in the day, Vaithilingam resigned as the Orathanadu MLA at the Chennai Secretariat...