Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, a well-known face in the Kongu region and founder-cum-managing trustee of Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation, on Thursday joined the DMK in the presence of party president M.K. Stalin.
“My objective is to spread the contribution of the erstwhile DMK government to the development of the Kongu region. Reservation and other policies played a pivotal role in the development of the region,” said Mr. Senaapathy, who was invited by Mr. Stalin to Chennai.
He said the Congress government in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s included the Mukkulathor and Vanniyar communities in the Backward Class list, based on the report of the Kalelkar Commission, but left out the Kongu Vellalar community. “Only in 1974 when Kalaignar[M. Karunanidhi] was the Chief Minister he included Kongu Vellalar and many other communities in the region in the BC list,” recalled Mr. Senaapathy, who had unsuccessfully sought DMK nomination in the 2016 Assembly election.
