Chennai, May 22:
Senior leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and former MLA K. Selvaraj on Thursday resigned from the party and announced his decision to step away from active politics, expressing disappointment over what he described as the sidelining of long-time loyalists.
Addressing the media in Tirupur, Selvaraj alleged that the party leadership had increasingly given prominence and key positions to recent entrants from rival parties, while neglecting grassroots workers who had remained committed for decades. He said he had endured the situation despite receiving invitations from other political parties, but had now decided to resign from all posts, including his primary membership.
The former MLA further claimed that he was denied the opportunity to contest again from the Tirupur South Assembly constituency due to the influence of a prominent industrialist. He added that he was instead asked to contest from Palladam without prior consultation, a move he said contributed to his electoral defeat.
Selvaraj also expressed frustration over not being given an opportunity to present ground realities to the party leadership. “If this is the situation faced by a senior functionary like me, one can imagine the plight of ordinary party workers,” he said.
Clarifying his future course, Selvaraj stated that he has no intention of joining any other political party. A long-time member of the DMK since 1976, he served as Tirupur central district secretary and held several key positions, including Municipal Chairman and Mayor, before being elected as MLA from Tirupur South in 2021.