Raja. C.K

Raja CK, 38, is a DMK politician representing the Krishnarayapuram (SC) constituency in Karur district, Tamil Nadu. A 10th pass educated businessman involved in self-employment and the rice market, Raja has declared assets of approximately Rs. 1.87 crores with liabilities of Rs. 22 lakhs, and has no criminal cases against him. His political career spans two decades, marked by persistence through electoral defeats and significant comebacks. Raja first tasted victory in 2006 when he won the Krishnarayapuram seat by a margin of 8,934 votes (7.09%), securing 46.33% of votes against AIADMK's R. Sasikala. However, he faced consecutive defeats in 2011 and 2016—losing to AIADMK's S. Kamaraj by over 17,000 votes in 2011, and to M. Geetha by 9,062 votes in 2016. His political fortunes revived dramatically in 2021 when he recaptured the seat with a commanding victory, securing 96,540 votes (53.72%) and defeating AIADMK's Muthukumar by 31,625 votes (17.60%). This win came as part of the DMK's sweeping victory in the 2021 state elections that brought MK Stalin to power. As a sitting MLA and DMK member, Raja operates within a party that has implemented significant welfare schemes including monthly assistance to 1.15 crore women, free bus travel for women, and waste-to-energy projects, contributing to Tamil Nadu's 9.69% GDP growth rate. However, the DMK also faces opposition allegations of corruption, including controversies over the Madurai property tax scam and custodial deaths. Raja is set to contest again in the 2026 elections from Krishnarayapuram, where he will face challenges from AIADMK's S. Dhivya, NTK's V. Sathya, and TVK's M. Sathya. Voters should note his demonstrated electoral resilience, clean affidavit with no criminal cases, and his representation of a reserved SC constituency where he has built support over two decades despite setbacks.