No one can stop me from contesting Sivakasi seat, AIADMK ex-Minister

MADURAI: Former AIADMK Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, who is facing a criminal probe in a job fraud case, on Monday said the ruling DMK foisted it to threaten him, adding that he won’t be cowed down.

He asserted that the people of Sivakasi gave him his identity, and so he vowed to contest the 2026 polls from Sivakasi. He added that no one can stop him from contesting in the constituency.

Addressing the party cadre at Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district ahead of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s campaign scheduled on August 8, Bhalaji said that after the DMK came to power, the police booked false cases against him to defame him and the party. When he was jailed in that case, police officers met him in the cell and threatened him to act against the interest of AIADMK.

Bhalaji said, “I won’t be cowed down by such threats, and my spirit will live on with the AIADMK until my last breath. I will never betray the AIADMK founded by MG Ramachandran.”

He asserted that whoever works hard in the AIADMK will be elevated to a prominent position, saying that the AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami began his political career as a branch secretary and rose to the chief position. His (Palaniswami's) perseverance paid off, Bhalaji added.

Bhalaji said he was an ordinary cadre of the AIADMK, and after working hard, he was appointed minister.