Former Coimbatore Mayor P. Rajkumar (AIADMK) on December 21 joined the DMK in Chennai, in the presence of party president M.K. Stalin, general secretary Durai Murugan and Coimbatore east urban unit in-charge and MLA N. Karthik.
Mr. Rajkumar, who is from a family of Congress supporters, began his political journey in the AIADMK. He has served as the Opposition leader in the Coimbatore Corporation Council, as the Corporation North Zone chairperson and AIADMK’s urban district secretary.
The then AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had nominated him as the party’s candidate for the mayorship by-election after the incumbent, S.M. Velusamy ,had resigned. His political ascension began with his nomination.
During his mayorship, Mr. Rajkumar performed a gaja puja – ritual of worshiping elephants – in March 2015. A few days prior to that he had defended his doctoral thesis, ‘Emergence of Jayalalithaa as a mass leader’.
Thereafter, he fell out of favour with Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani, who, sources claimed, was unhappy with Mr. Rajkumar’s style of independent functioning. The result of the difference between the two leaders was that the civic administration suffered, and his powers were politically clipped.
After the death of Jayalalithaa, Mr. Rajkumar largely remained on the sidelines and was hardly seen at AIADMK events.
Mr. Rajkumar was not available for comments.
