CHENNAI: Party-hopping ex-DMK MLA from Ilayangudi, Raja Kannappan, rejoined the AIADMK on Friday. Kannappan had earlier resigned as an MLA on Wednesday citing that the DMK government had failed on all fronts, particularly in maintaining law and order. Known simply as Kannappan earlier, he later changed his name to Raja Kannappan.
He is a self-styled ‘Yadava’ community leader and held the PWD and electricity portfolios in the AIADMK cabinet between 1991 and 1996. Following the AIADMK defeat in 1996, he left the AIADMK and floated the Makkal Tamizh Desiya Katchi (MTDK).
His attempts to join the AIADMK again, failed and he joined the DMK coalition in the 2001 Assembly Polls.
Following his defeat in the 2001 polls, he dissolved the MTDK and joined the DMK.
On Friday, he joined the AIADMK after a general council meeting of erstwhile MTDK members. According to him, 6,000 members attended the council meeting and 14.83 lakh members of the erstwhile MTDK joined the AIADMK along with him.
These include 8,000-9,000 members per constituency from 183 assembly constituencies.
There are speculations that he might be the AIADMK’s candidate for Sivaganga, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s constituency for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Questioned about the possibility, he said, “I will work for the AIADMK’s victory as a party worker. It is up to Amma to take decisions. I will abide by her decision.”
