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Tamil Nadu
Stalin men corner dt. secretary posts
By R.K. Radhakrishnan
CHENNAI
May 29.
Stalin loyalists cornered most of the posts of DMK district secretary as consensus prevailed over bitter fights in the inner-party elections. With the completion of these crucial elections — the process began just over a year ago — , the stage is set for election of the leadership on June 2.
According to senior leaders, M. Karunanidhi will be elected president — unanimously, as usual. The top leaders will retain their posts - K.Anbazhagan as general secretary and Arcot N.Veerasamy as treasurer.
The only change initially contemplated was induction of a second-rung leader as deputy general secretary. When the idea was mooted at the beginning of the election process, it was thought that the seat was being created to accommodate the former Chennai Mayor, M.K. Stalin, who, at 50 plus, continues as youth wing president. But with his supporters cornering most of the posts of district secretary, this plan was reportedly shelved. Many names of senior leaders are now being floated for the post — Durai Murugan, chief arbitrator at the last and crucial stage of the inner-party elections; T.R. Baalu, a late but effective entrant, and the old timers, Ko.Si. Mani and Veerapandi Arumugham.
Each of them has been active of late, with Mr. Arumugham ensuring that the elections, right from the block level in Salem, were decided on the basis of consensus and discussions — much before consensus became the only tool of decision-making, following the killing of the former DMK Minister, T. Kiruttinan.
In the difficult districts — Madurai and Sivagangai — old timers have taken over the reins again. Periya Karuppan, who moved in as district secretary after Kiruttinan was elevated zonal organiser, will seek to stabilise the party in the volatile district, while Velusamy, identified with the Stalin camp, has the job of salvaging the party's image in Madurai.
In north Chennai, Balaraman won without contest, while another Stalin supporter and new face, J. Anbazhagan, T.Nagar MLA, takes the place of the ailing Saidai Kittu in south Chennai district. There are at least six other new faces in the district level set-up, including the Union Minister, Raja; the former Minister, Suresh Rajan and the MLA, E.V. Velu. The Central Chennai secretary, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, does not find a place in the new set-up as a major part of Central Chennai has been merged with the north and the remaining with the south. He met the party bosses on Wednesday.
The 12th party elections have been closely fought at various levels, said a newly-elected district secretary, attributing the phenomenon to the growing confidence of the rank and file in the party's ability to stage a comeback in the coming Lok Sabha and next Assembly elections. They reckoned that with the "growing discontent over the anti-poor policies of the AIADMK Government", it was only natural that the people would prefer the DMK the next time. And, district secretaries have a say in deciding candidates for the elections.
Meanwhile, Mr. Karunanidhi said he was cancelling his 80th birthday celebrations scheduled for June 3, again — since the Union Minister, Murasoli Maran, was still fighting for his life in a U.S. hospital, since Kiruttinan was murdered, and since his son, M.K. Azhagiri, was ``falsely implicated'' in that case by `outside forces' in a bid to break the party.
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