Chennai: A controversy has emerged over the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) candidate list for the upcoming Assembly election, with reports saying six of the party’s 10 nominees belong to the Naidu community.
The report contrasts this with the approach of party founder Vijayakanth, who, though from the Naidu community, did not publicly foreground his caste identity and projected himself primarily as a Tamil leader. It notes that he worked with people across communities, including Muslims and Christians, and avoided acting in films in languages other than Tamil.
After Vijayakanth’s death, allegations have been raised that Premalatha and her brother Sudheesh are steering the party towards caste-based politics. As an example, the report points to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when Vijayakanth’s son Vijay Prabhakaran contested from Virudhunagar, described as an area with a significant Naidu population.
The report further says that after aligning with the DMK, Premalatha allotted the party’s Rajya Sabha seat to her brother Sudheesh. She has now released the list of 10 Assembly candidates allotted to DMDK within the DMK-led alliance.
According to the report, the inclusion of Premalatha from Vriddhachalam and Vijay Prabhakaran from Virudhunagar among the six Naidu candidates has intensified internal unease. It also claims that Premalatha entered the alliance and secured more seats through DMK ministers Velu and Sekarbabu, and that the high share of Naidu nominees has caused unrest within DMDK.
