Former DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam dies in Chennai

CHENNAI: Former DMK MLA of Thousand Lights constituency Ku Ka Selvam died in a private hospital in Chennai on Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 70.
Chief minister M K Stalin along with his wife Durga Stalin, DMK treasurer T R Baalu, sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, municipal administration minister K N Nehru, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and other party seniors paid their last respects to Selvam at his residence in Kodambakkam and consoled his family members.
Selvam started his political career under former chief minister M G Ramachandran and was his ardent follower. However, after MGR's death, Selvam distanced himself from the AIADMK and joined the DMK in 1997. Since then, Selvam had been active in the DMK and worked directly under Stalin in Thousand Lights constituency.
From 1996 to 2011, Stalin was the MLA of Thousand Lights constituency. After Stalin shifted his constituency to Kolathur, Hasan Mohammed Jinnah contested unsuccessfully in 2011 against former minister B Valarmathi in the constituency. In 2016, Selvam defeated Valarmathi in the constituency.
However, in 2020, close to the 2021 assembly elections, Selvam switched sides to the BJP. Though he was confident of getting the seat in Thousand Lights constituency in 2021, the saffron party gave the seat to actor-turned-politician Khushbu, who lost against DMK’s N Ezhilan.
Dejected, Selvam returned to the DMK. He was given the post of headquarters secretary.
Udhayanidhi posted on social media that Selvam was the "lovable brother" of former chief minister M Karunanidhi. "Selvam was a staunch follower of our party president (Stalin) and had affection for me. Selvam used to move along with everyone with affection and was a workhorse in the party. His death is irreparable."
BJP state president K Annamalai posted on X that he was saddened on hearing the news of death of Selvam.