Tamil actor Sarath Kumar merges his party with BJP

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, veteran Tamil actor R Sarath Kumar on Tuesday merged his Akila Indiya Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) with the BJP.

In the presence of AISMK office-bearers and BJP Tamil Nadu unit president K Annamalai, Kumar merged his party with the saffron party.

Betting on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar, addressing his party workers here, said Modiji would helm the nation further, towards fostering unity and nurture economic growth.

Ending the scourge of drugs and ensuring the welfare of the youths is bright under Modi's leadership, he said.

Sixty-nine-year-old Kumar appealed to his party workers to work towards bringing the BJP to power in Tamil Nadu following polls to the state assembly in 2026.

After being in the DMK, which sent him to the Rajya Sabha, he quit that party and joined the AIADMK and eventually founded the AISMK in 2007.