Tamil Nadu election result 2021 | Sellur Raju: MLA who covered lake with thermocol to prevent drought leading in Madurai West

He is an incumbent MLA and responsible for the Ministry of Co-operation

Sellur K Raju, a sitting MLA, is leading the race for Madurai (West) constituency in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2021 with DMK's Chinnammal C coming a close second.

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In 2017, the AIADMK MLA set afloat sheets of thermocol to conserve water in the Vaigai reservoir. Officials of the Public Works Department, who came up with the experiment to conserve water, spent Rs 10 lakh to cover a portion of the dam to restrict the loss of water due to evaporation.

Strong winds swept the sheets away moments after Raju set pieces of polystyrene afloat. Social media was quick to react to the episode and ridiculed him and the officials for coming up with such an idea.

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Raju is contesting against DMK's Chinnammal, Makkal Needhi Maiam's Muniswamy V and Naam Tamilar Katchi's Vetrikumaran C among other contestants.

He first won the constituency in 2011 and has represented the party since. He is a BSc graduate from the Madurai Kamaraj University and is responsible for the Ministry of Co-operation portfolio.