Chennai: Former Union minister and DMK member Napoleon joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in Chennai on Sunday, in the presence of party President Amit Shah.
Napoleon resigned from the DMK on Saturday after serving the party for 35 years, from the age of 16.
The former Perambalur MP has sent his resignation addressed to party president M. Karunanidhi and general secretary K. Anbazhagan through his personal assistant. While thanking the two nonagenarians and treasurer Stalin among others for having provided him various opportunities in the past, Napolean did not cite any specific reason for relinquishing even the primary membership of the party.
A close relative of ex-DMK minister, he was also elected to the Assembly from Villivakkam constituency in 2001 when the DMK lost power. However, he unsuccessfully fought from the Mylapore seat in 2006 when the DMK returned to power.
A close relative of former DMK minister K. N. Nehru, Napolean was close to suspended DMK south zone organizing secretary M. K. Alagiri. His relationship with the party high command, particularly Stalin, soured, after he, along with party Rajya Sabha MP K.P. Ramalingam, met and expressed solidarity with Alagiri, ignoring the warning of the high command not to continue ties with Alagiri who was spewing venom against Stalin, among a few others, in the party high ranks.
