CHENNAI: Shortly after the DMK’s mouthpiece Murasoli published the list of functionaries elected to party units from the town panchayat to the district level on Thursday, a section of DMK cadre and second-rung leaders expressed disappointment, saying many people were given more than one post, in violation of the party’s bylaws. The names of district secretaries too were published.
“It wasn’t a list of elected functionaries; it was a list of ‘selected’ functionaries. In our district, five teams were nominated for district functionaries, and the State-level functionaries, who were deployed as election authorities, invited us for compromise talks. We put forth our grievances and demands, but they didn’t accept them,” said a former district-level functionary on condition of anonymity.
“Later, we demanded a fair election for the district unit. But without an election or us withdrawing our nominations, they declared the results,” the former functionary explained. Another senior party member from a southern district said, “There was a need for an election in at least 25 district units since more than four teams were contesting. But they declared the results without an election. This has given cadre the message that their opinions don’t matter.”
Another former district functionary said at least 11 district secretaries are originally from the AIADMK. “Within 11 years in the party, Thalapathi Murugesn, who is from the DMDK, became the Coimbatore South district secretary. With three years of service, T Mathiyazhagan, of Rajini Makkal Mandram, became the Krishnagiri East district secretary. But thousands of DMK cadre who were in the party for generations were unable to get even a ward secretary post. The DMK seems to be a haven for party hoppers”.
The cadre further said that despite the party’s ‘one man one post’ rule, many people were given two posts while eligible cadre wasn’t given any.