Assembly polls: DMK workers protest over candidate; chappals hurled at A Raja's car

Udhagamandalam: Chappals and eggs were hurled at the car of former union minister and DMK leader A Raja near on Friday as he faced the wrath of a group of party workers opposed to the choice of M B Mubarak as the candidate for Coonoor in the May 16 assembly elections.

Police said around 400 DMK workers reportedly owing allegiance to former state minister D Ramachandran gathered in front of a hall in Kothagiri where Raja, former Lok Sabha member from Udhagamandalam, was to introduce the candidate.

As the car reached the venue, chappals and eggs were hurled at the vehicle. Some of the missiles landed on the car even as the workers ghearoed Raja, by preventing him and Mubarak from getting out, they said.

The protest came a day after party patriarch M Karunanidhi appealed to the cadres to put behind their disappointments over choice of nominees and work unitedly for DMK's victory assuming that he himself is the candidate in all the constituencies.

DMK, which is seeking to storm back to power in the polls, has been facing protests over choice of candidates in several constituencies and had changed four of them already.

Police said they managed to clear the crowd and made way for the two leaders to reach the meeting hall. The meeting, attended by nearly 800 DMK workers, went off peacefully, police added.

There has been strong opposition against the nomination of Mubarak, a former whip of the party in the assembly, from the supporters of Ramachandran who claimed that their leader had nurtured the constituency well. However, the party has stuck to its decision to field Mubarak ignoring the protests.