DMK deputy general secretary and Nilgiris MP A Raja is said to be upset over what he views as the party leadership sidelining him during the ongoing election campaign.
According to the report, Raja had earlier been appointed as the DMK’s Chennai zone in-charge for the current Assembly election, but was not given importance in candidate selection. The situation reportedly worsened after an audio controversy linked to his remarks on the 2G spectrum case triggered internal unease.
The report also recalls that during the 2021 Assembly election, a controversy over remarks attributed to Raja about AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s mother had circulated widely, and that the DMK did not get the expected results in parts of the Kongu region.
Though Raja was initially included in the list of star campaigners this time, he was reportedly denied campaign opportunities after the audio clip surfaced, with candidates and district functionaries not inviting him for election meetings. Raja is said to have stopped campaigning and returned to his home in Perambalur.
In this backdrop, Chief Minister M K Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan visited Raja’s Perambalur residence along with Minister Sivashankar and local party functionaries to attempt a reconciliation. Raja reportedly conveyed his grievances, while Sabareesan is said to have offered no assurances and asked him to remain calm until the election is over.
