Modi 2.0: AIADMK's lone MP, OPS son Ravindranath makes it to cabinet

New Delhi, May 30: The AIADMK is all set to make a comeback in the Union cabinet after a gap of 20 years with OP Ravindranath Kumar, the son of Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam's entry into Modi cabinet.

With 5,04,813 votes, Raveendranath managed to gain 43.02 per cent of the total votes in Theni constituency.

According to the reports, Panneerselvam, who went to Varanasi when Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination, became confident that his son will be elevated as a minister.

In fact, OPS himself reportedly admitted that the merger happened only on the advise of Narendra Modi.

"Modi promised to take care of him whenever needed, he told us at the time of merger, which is why he agreed to be the deputy chief minister," said a senior AIADMK leader who was part of the OPS camp when the merger happened.

While Kumar was the lone AIADMK-NDA victor from Tamil Nadu winning from Theni in the Lok Sabha elections, Vaithilingam was the Housing Minister during late J Jayalalithaa's tenure during 2011-16 and a party strongman from Thanjavur District.

The AIADMK has 13 members, including Vaithilingam, in the Rajya Sabha.

The DMK, led by former party chief Karunanidhi's son, Stalin, swept the elections, winning 37 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats that polled last month.