CHENNAI: In an ‘accommodative spirit,’ the ruling AIADMK on Thursday appointed many former ministers and senior functionaries to key posts. This would continue in the coming days too. These appointments are much awaited since the merger of the factions led by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami in August last year.
This exercise assumes significance as the party is preparing itself for the Lok Sabha elections as well as the by-elections to the two Assembly constituencies. Further, many posts which were lying vacant after the expulsion of supporters of TTV Dhinakaran, have been filled up and additional posts also created to accommodate more functionaries.
Decisions in this regard were taken at the high-level meeting of the AIADMK chaired by party coordinator Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Palaniswami, which lasted more than two hours on Thursday. After the meeting, Panneerselvam said the high-level meeting would continue on Friday too while deputy coordinator R Vaithilingam said the meeting discussed the valedictory of the AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran scheduled for September 30. He also said the steering committee for the party would be formed very soon.
As many as 10 former ministers have been accommodated in key posts while senior functionaries who have been functioning without party posts have also been accommodated in important posts. Former Ministers P Mohan and M Paranjothi, a former Union Minister Gingee N Ramachandran, R Murugaiah Pandian, MLA and M Chinnadurai, deputy secy of youth brigade, Thoothukudi district have been appointed as organising secretaries. In all, 36 new office bearers have been appointed.
Nirmala Periyasamy, a supporter of O Panneerselvam, who was removed as spokesperson last year has been appointed in the same post. Film director Liakath Ali Khan has also been appointed as spokesperson of AIADMK while PT Elangovan and a former minister SM Velusamy have been appointed as deputy propaganda secretaries.
Plea by KC Palanisamy
The meet also discussed the Delhi HC directive to file response to KC Palanisamy’s petition against amendments in AIADMK constitution