Expelled DMK leader KP Ramalingam has, on Saturday, officially joined BJP, hours ahead of Amit Shah's visit to Chennai and he is the third leader of the Tamil Nadu Opposition party to switch side after VP Duraisamy and sitting DMK legislator Ku Ka Selvam. Upon joining the Central ruling party, Ramalingam has revealed his plan that could possibly hurt MK Stalin, ahead of the assembly polls. 

Ramalingam is one of the staunch supporters of Stalin's elder brother MK Alagiri, who was expelled from the party in 2014 by his father, then DMK President Karunanidhi. Recently, Alagiri was surfaced with strong speculations that he will launch a new political party and ally with BJP and the former Central minister was in a political spotlight when the state is fast-approaching the legislative elections. 

Alagiri's resurgence was expected to levy more challenges to DMK and Stalin in securing a stable voter base in Madurai and southern districts as Alagiri still has a stronghold in the southern belt of the state. While the reports said Alagiri could launch a political party and name it as Kalaignar DMK (KDMK), the expelled leader had denied the reports on the new political party or on the talks with the BJP. 

However, amid such developments, Alagiri's closest aide KP Ramalingam has joined the BJP on Saturday, which stirred fresh speculations that Alagiri will be the next. Ramalingam has officially joined the Central ruling party in the presence of BJP's National Secretary CT Ravi, Tamil Nadu BJP President L Murugan, and senior party leaders. He has joined the party hours ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Chennai. 

According to reports close to the developments, Ramalingam will be tasked by the BJP to speak with Alagiri and to bring him to the party,  which would collapse the DMK and would direct a fresh intra-party dispute. Speaking to the reporters after joining the BJP, Ramalingam has revealed his plan and said that he will talk to Alagiri about his new political path and stated that he will also ask Alagiri to join the Central ruling party. 

Ramalingam was initially with the ADMK and joined the DMK after MGR's death. Ramalingam had served as the secretary of DMK's Agricultural wing and he had also served as the Rajya Sabha MP from DMK for one term and when Alagiri had a stronghold in the party, Ramalingam had seen steady growth in the party. When Alagiri was expelled from the party, Ramalingam had remained in the party and he had stirred intra-party furor over his remarks against the party leaders.

When DMK President MK Stalin had pressed the Tamil Nadu government to convene the all-party meeting to discuss about the COVID-19 outbreak and the state's response, Ramalingam had directly flayed Stalin for demanding an all-party meeting and stood against the party's stand. As the sequel of his dissent against the party's leadership, Ramalingam was recently expelled from the party and his primary membership was revoked and following the expulsion, Ramalingam had turned to be a staunch critic of MK Stalin.