D. Raja
Doraisamy Raja (born June 3, 1949) is a politician and former member of Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.[1] He was the national secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) from 1994 to 2019, and became general secretary in 2019.[1][2][3]
Doraisamy Raja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General Secretary of the Communist Party of India | |
| Assumed office 21 July 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy |
| Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) | |
| In office 25 July 2007 – 24 July 2019 | |
| Constituency | Tamil Nadu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 June 1949 Chithathoor, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, Dominion of India |
| Political party | Communist Party of India |
| Spouse(s) | Annie Raja |
| Parents | P. Doraisamy (father) Nayagam (mother) |
| Education | G.T.M. College (B.Sc.) Government Teachers College (B.Ed) |
Early life and education
Raja was born in Chithathoor, in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, to a Dalit family.[1][4] His father, P. Doraisamy, and mother, Nayagam, were landless agricultural workers.[1]
He completed a B.Sc. from G.T.M. College in Gudiyattam, and a B.Ed from Government Teachers College in Vellore. He was the first graduate in his village. While in college, he became active in student politics.[1][5]
Political career
During college, he joined the All India Students Federation and became active in student politics. He later became the leader of the All India Youth Federation and was the State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit from 1975 to 1980, and was then elected general secretary from 1985 to 1990. He became the national secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1994 and served until 2019. On 21 July 2019, the National Council of the CPI elected him as the general secretary of the party.[6]
Raja was first elected to Rajya Sabha in July 2007 from Tamil Nadu and was re-elected in 2013.[1]
Personal life
Raja met his wife, Annie Raja, while they were both in the All India Youth Federation, and they married on 7 January 1990 in a simple wedding. She is now the general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women, the women wing of the CPI, and they have a daughter together.[7]
Bibliography
- Dalit Question: The Way Forward (New Delhi, CPI Publication, 2007)
References
- "Detailed Profile: Shri D. Raja". National Portal of India.
- "Tamil Nadu News : Doraisamy Raja, CPI candidate for RS polls". The Hindu. 24 May 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- "CPI re-nominates D. Raja for Rajya Sabha". The Hindu. 16 June 2013.
- "D. Raja: Age, Biography, Education". One India.
- "'I never fasted but I starved,' CPI leader D Raja on growing up in poverty". Hindustan Times. 16 December 2018.
- "D. Raja takes over as CPI general secretary". The Hindu. 21 July 2019.
- Paul, Cithara (22 December 2018). "King and queen of hearts". The Week.