CHENNAI: In an apparent bid to placate disgruntled leaders and stem the exodus of functionaries from the AIADMK, party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday appointed several leaders to new posts in the party.
Many of them had been removed earlier from party posts after ‘revolting’ against the leadership and backing the TVK government during the confidence vote. Significantly, former minister C Ve Shanmugam, who has continued to criticise Palaniswami, was not given any party post.
However, with one exception, the AIADMK chief did not restore leaders to the posts from which they were removed on May 13. The appointments came amid reports that former minister C Vijayabaskar, who has already resigned as the MLA from Viralimalai, is set to join the TVK along with a large number of cadre. Palaniswami has also faced criticism for his rigid approach and failing to prevent several functionaries from leaving the party.
Former minister Natham R Viswanathan was reinstated as deputy general secretary, while former minister S P Velumani was also appointed deputy general secretary. Velumani had earlier served as Coimbatore Rural South district secretary and headquarters secretary. Varahur A Arunachalam has now been appointed headquarters secretary, one of the key organisational posts in the party.
Former ministers P Thangamani, K P Anbazhagan, R Kamaraj, K C Veeramani and P Balakrishna Reddy, along with former MP Tiruttani G Hari, all of whom had sided with the rival camp, were appointed as organising secretaries. Former ministers M R Vijayabhaskar, A Arunmozhithevan and a few others from the same camp were named joint propaganda secretaries.
Palaniswami also reorganised several district units and announced appointments to the AIADMK’s trade union wing. A T C Pon Dhanapalan was named president of the Anna Thozhil Sanga Peravai, while Bell R Thamizharasan was appointed secretary.
Former minister S M Velusamy was appointed secretary of the newly-created Coimbatore Central (Rural) district, and former minister Pollachi V Jayaraman, secretary of Coimbatore South (Rural) district, replacing S P Velumani. Velusamy will oversee the Sulur, Thondamuthur and Kinathukadavu Assembly constituencies, while Jayaraman will be in charge of the Pollachi and Valparai constituencies.
Former minister K Pandiarajan has been appointed as organising secretary. P Santhanakrishnan, who contested against M K Stalin, will be the new secretary of the North Chennai South West unit.
M Susikaran, the party’s Shengottai union secretary, replaced former Kadayanallur MLA C Krishnamurali as Tenkasi North district secretary after the latter was stripped of the post earlier. Krishnamurali has now been appointed an organising secretary.
Former MP P Soundararajan of the Tirunelveli Rural unit was also appointed organising secretary. Other appointments include former Sankarankovil MLA M Subbaiah Pandian as deputy propaganda secretary and former district panchayat president P Narayana Perumal as deputy secretary of the MGR Mandram.