TIRUPPUR: As part of the AIADMK's restructuring efforts following the electoral defeat and the subsequent internal turmoil, the party on Thursday appointed a local figure, Velkumar M Saminathan, as the district secretary of its Tiruppur Urban District unit, after a gap of nearly five years.
The party also replaced old faces and appointed new district secretaries for the Tiruppur Suburban East and Tiruppur West district units. Several members of the party, who had called for such an appointment, expressed confidence that the move would boost the morale of the cadres.
The party appointed R Selvakumar as the district secretary of its Tiruppur Suburban East District unit (under which Dharapuram, Kangeyam, and Madathukulam fall) and former parliamentarian C Sivasamy as the Suburban West District Secretary (Palladam and Undumalaipet).
Velkumar M Saminathan, who commended the work carried out by Jayaraman, told the TNIE, "Party cadres can contact me any time. I will support everyone, including the party's grassroots workers. I will also try to bring back those who had left the party. In consultation with senior members, I will strengthen the party in Tiruppur South and North units."
In the 2026 Assembly elections, the party lost in all but two constituencies (Kangeyam and Dharapuram) in Tiruppur district, where the AIADMK's presence has remained strong in the Kongu region.
The TVK captured some of the seats that the AIADMK had held for a long time, such as Avinashi, Palladam, and Tiruppur North. The AIADMK performed better in the 2021 elections, winning Tiruppur North, Avinashi, Palladam, Madathukulam, and Udumalaipet constituencies in the district.
Previously, Pollachi V Jayaraman -- a native of Pollachi in Coimbatore district and a former deputy speaker -- served as the district secretary of Tiruppur Urban District unit for nearly five years, since November 2020. At the time of his appointment, an alleged internal feud was ongoing between then district secretary MSM Anandan and the late Tiruppur South MLA S Gunasekaran, resulting in Jayaraman getting the post.
However, despite many opportunities since then, the party did not change the district secretary, paving the way for a section of cadres' demand for the appointment of a local figure for the district unit.