Anwar Raja Expelled from AIADMK, Joins DMK

Anwar Raja, a long-time member of the AIADMK, has been removed from the party. He initially joined AIADMK when it was founded by M.G.R. Anwar Raja, hailing from Ramanathapuram district, first got an opportunity in the 1986 local body elections, which was a challenging time for AIADMK due to a strong DMK wave.

During those elections, Anwar Raja surprisingly won as the Mandapam Panchayat Union Chairman. Later, at a conference in Madurai, M.G.R. invited him to speak and included him in a powerful 15-member governing committee of AIADMK. Among these members, 13 were ministers; only Anwar Raja and Jayalalithaa were not.

Political Shifts and Ministerial Roles

After M.G.R.'s death, when AIADMK split, Anwar Raja sided with Janaki M.G.R. He contested the 1989 assembly elections as a candidate from Janaki's faction but lost. Subsequently, he accepted Jayalalithaa's leadership and rejoined AIADMK. From then on, he remained steadfastly loyal to the party regardless of its electoral fortunes.

Representing minorities within AIADMK, Anwar Raja served as a state minister during Jayalalithaa's tenure in 2001. He managed the Labour Welfare Department but was unexpectedly removed from his ministerial position before being reinstated later.

Recent Developments and Party Dynamics

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Anwar Raja won from Ramanathapuram constituency. After Jayalalithaa's demise, he supported Sasikala but later shifted allegiance to Edappadi Palaniswami. Before the 2021 assembly elections, he opposed the AIADMK-BJP alliance and wasn't given an election ticket despite staying with AIADMK.

Despite his continued association with AIADMK, Anwar Raja recently called for single leadership within the party and expressed support for Sasikala. His criticism of Edappadi Palaniswami led to his removal from AIADMK in 2021.

On August 4th, 2023, Anwar Raja rejoined AIADMK under Edappadi Palaniswami's leadership. However, he has now been expelled again after visiting Anna Arivalayam to join DMK in front of M.K. Stalin. Reports suggest his dissatisfaction stemmed from AIADMK's alliance with BJP.

Anwar Raja's political journey reflects significant shifts within Tamil Nadu politics over decades. His recent expulsion marks another chapter in his career filled with alliances and realignments.