Four-time DMK MLA A Soundara Pandian from Lalgudi has recently expressed dissatisfaction on social media creating controversy within DMK for not being informed about official events in his constituency, KN Nehru, the party’s principal secretary and Minister, addressed the matter to the press on 15 June 2024. Nehru stated that Soundarapandian had already been contacted regarding the issue and declined to comment further.
Earlier on 14 June 2024, Soundara Pandian reacted to a Facebook post by Minister Nehru showcasing his visit to Lalgudi with the district collector and other officials to assess potential sites for new taluk and sub-registrar offices. Soundarapandian’s response to the post, where he remarked that “the Lalgudi MLA is dead” and implied the constituency was vacant, gained significant attention online and within political circles. Despite initially being public, the comment was later made private.
Minister K N Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply wrote in his FB post, “I visited and inspected the places for the construction of the new office inside the new collectorate office in Lalgudi, Tiruchirappalli and conducted a survey. District Collector IAS Pradeep Kumar was present on the occasion. It was attended by government officials, zonal Presidents, Members of council, representatives of local bodies, and members of the public.”
Responding to the post Lalgudi MLA Soundarapandian stated that, “Due to death of Lalgudi Assembly Member Soundara Pandian, Lalgudi Constituency has been declared vacant.”
(Image Credit: Hindu Tamil)
Sources close to Soundarapandian conveyed his frustration at not being informed about the minister’s visit despite serving as MLA multiple times. They highlighted a pattern of neglect by Minister Nehru towards Soundarapandian’s role in the constituency. Conversely, supporters of Minister Nehru blamed officials for the lapse in informing Soundarapandian about the visit, emphasizing Nehru’s pivotal role in Soundarapandian’s electoral success.
In summary, the incident underscores tensions within the DMK party, exacerbated by communication breakdowns and perceived neglect, despite Soundarapandian’s longstanding representation of Lalgudi.
(with inputs from TNIE)
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