Shri A. Raja was born to Mr. S.K. Andimuthu and Mrs. Krishnammal on 10th May, 1963 at Velur in District Perambalur (Tamil Nadu). He did his B.Sc. from Government Arts College, Musiri, District Tiruchirappalli and B.L. from Government Law College, Madurai (Tamil Nadu). He has also done M.L. from Government Law College, Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu). He is Advocate by profession.

Shri A. Raja got married to Mrs. Parameshwari on 4th February, 1996 and has got a daughter, Mayuri Raja.

His parliamentary career began in 1996, when he was elected to Eleventh Lok Sabha from Perambalur Constituency in Tamil Nadu for the first time. Again in 1999 he was elected to Thirteenth Lok Sabha from the same constituency. From October, 1999 to September, 2000 he was the Minister of State for Rural Development in the NDA Government led by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Later on, he took over as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare where he continued till December, 2003. Shri A. Raja was re-elected to Fourteenth Lok Sabha in May, 2004 from the same Constituency and this time elevated to the level of a Cabinet Minister of Environment & Forests in the UPA-I Government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh . Later, he has taken the charge as Minister of Communications & Information Technology in May, 2007. He was re-elected to Fifteenth Lok Sabha in May, 2009 from Nilgiris Constituency in Tamil Nadu. Again, in June 2009, he was retained the same portfolio i.e. Minister of Communications & Information Technology in UPA-II also. He resigned from the office in 14th November 2010 over the 2G spectrum controversy. He was one of the youngest Cabinet Ministers in the NDA and UPA Government.

Shri A. Raja took part in various social and cultural activities since his college days. He entered into public life in college days through Dravidar Kazhagam founded by Periyar EVR and became District Secretary of D.M.K. Party in Perambalur District. He also became the President of Dr. Ambedkar Thinkers Forum, Perambalur and Secretary of Rationalist Forum and Tamil Illakkiya Peravai (Literary Movement) Perambalur.

He is an avid reader of books and has published a few books too, viz., “An Autobiography of Democracy” – Oru Suyasarithai – Collection of Tamil Poems. Recently, he published famous books titled “2G Saga Unfolds” in English & “2G Avilum Unmaigal” in Tamil which are widely rocking in the Indian Politics and Media.

He has special interest in social reforms activities and reading books and writing poems in Tamil are his favourite pastime and recreation. Presently, he is the Propaganda Secretary of DMK Party.