TIRUPPUR: Former AIADMK minister M S M Anandan, who was a prominent face of the party in Tiruppur, has officially announced his resignation from the party due to dissatisfaction with the leadership. He is set to join TVK on today.
Anandan played a key role in strengthening the AIADMK in Tiruppur's Urban District in the past. He has served in key positions, including Minister for Forests and Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.
Anandan, in his statement, on Wednesday, said, "AIADMK is the movement responsible for all my progress. Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was the one who gave me identity. I joined the party as a member in 1980. After that, Amma gave me various responsibilities, including district secretary and minister."
"Even after replacing 22 district secretaries following the 2016 Assembly election, Amma did not replace me. This is because of the trust she had in me. After Amma's demise, I carried out all the tasks assigned by the party leadership. However, I was removed from the post of district secretary in 2020. But even after that, I remained loyal to the party leadership," he added.
Further, he said, "Despite repeatedly pointing out that the party was losing strength in Tiruppur, the leadership took no action. The true state of the party in Tiruppur was revealed in the last Assembly election.
The party is disintegrating, but the party leadership does not want to prevent it. The party leadership is concerned about protecting itself. The party leadership is focusing only on removing those who express opposite views. Therefore, after much thought, I am quitting the AIADMK."
When TNIE tried to contact him, we received information that he is set to join TVK on Thursday. However, local functionaries said that his resignation would not have a major impact on the party in Tiruppur.
Velkumar M Saminathan, Tiruppur's Urban District Secretary of AIADMK, said, "The AIADMK gave him several key positions, including minister. He is currently going to secure a post in another party. The true cadres of the AIADMK are always with us. Youth are also showing great interest in joining the AIADMK. Anandan's resignation will not cause any impact."