In a significant jolt to the DMK, the party’s sitting MLA Ku Ka Selvam is in talks with the BJP. Though the MLA was supposed to join the BJP on Tuesday evening in the presence of its party President JP Nadda, Ku Ka Selvam denied that he had jumped ship. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after meeting with the BJP Chief, Ku Ka Selvam had three demands for MK Stalin - to conduct elections in the DMK, to break ties with the Congress and to condemn the Karuppar Kootam.
Denying that he was joining the BJP, the Thousand Lights MLA told reporters that he went to meet Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to seek two lifts at the Nungambakkam Railway Station. Once a loyalist of DMK President MK Stalin, Selvam’s move to jump ship has come as a shock to the cadre of the Dravidian party with less than a year to go for the Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu.
According to sources, Ku Ka Selvam had been vying for the Chennai West District Secretary post, which was held until recently by J Anbazhagan, who passed away due to COVID-19. Stalin’s decision, however, to appoint N Chitrarasu, who is close to his son and DMK Youth Wing leader Udhayanidhi, as the district in-charge for the Chennai West is the reason for Selvam’s departure. Chitrarasu was earlier the organiser of DMK’s Youth Wing’s Chennai West district unit.
The Chennai West district unit is considered prestigious with the DMK’s headquarters Arivalyam coming under its jurisdiction. District Secretaries are normally elected, however, the in-charge posting given to Chitrarasu has been seen as having the blessings of the DMK President.
“After Anbalagan’s death, the assumption was that a senior leader like him would be made in charge or be elected District Secretary. But that did not happen. Selvam, who was also close to the family, had only two options, to go with the AIADMK or BJP. The AIADMK cannot accommodate him in the same constituency and therefore BJP was the next option. There would have been some other tacit understanding from the party or favours sought, that's usual,” a political source said.
The DMK leadership had gone into a huddle at Arivalyam on Tuesday after reports that Ku Ka Selvam was set to join the BJP. According to sources, attempts were made by the DMK leadership at pacifying the MLA. Another source added that the MLA’s decision to move to the BJP a few months before the assembly election should force the DMK leader to re-think the way the party is functioning, and Udhayanidhi’s influence on the workings of the party.
Ku Ka Selvam had begun his political career in the AIADMK but later quit the party to join the rival DMK. With Stalin’s backing he went on successfully contest the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in 2016, defeating the then MLA and Minister B Valarmathi.
In May, former DMK leader VP Duraisamy joined the BJP. His departure came after the former Assembly Deputy Speaker and former MLA was removed as DMK Deputy General Secretary. In an interview to The Hindu, Duraisamy said he had left the DMK as the party had deviated from its ideology. He also accused the DMK of caste politics.