NAMAKKAL: Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) on Friday replaced its Namakkal candidate S Suriyamurthy after an old video of him speaking casteist remarks went viral online. The party has now fielded VS Matheshwaran, party's Namakkal South district secretary.
KMDK on Monday announced that 51-year-old S Suriyamurthy will be representing the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Namakkal, a lone seat which the party is contesting in the DMK-led alliance. The KMDK would be contesting in the DMK's 'Rising Sun' symbol.
Following the announcement, an old video of Suriyamurthy in which he was seen making casteist remarks had gone viral on the social media, garnering backlash from social activists and netizens alike.
Following this on Friday, KMDK general secretary ER Eswaran had announced that they would be fielding SV Matheshwaran (52), native of Mudhalaipatti village located along the Salem road in Namakkal.
He had functioned as the party vice president of the Senthamangalam block committee between 2006 and 2011. In the 2016 assembly election, he contested as an independent candidate for the Namakkal Assembly constituency and lost.
Between 2009 and 2012, he had been the District organiser for the KMDK. Between 2012 and the present he has been the District secretary of Namakkal (South) with the KMDK.
Further, he was also the secretary of the 2nd Ulaga Kongu Tamilzhar Maanadu in 2019.