CHENNAI: The election dust has barely settled, but the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has turned its attention towards building up its party machinery.
TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had given the task of restructuring and strengthening the party to minister and party chief coordinator K A Sengottaiyan, who left the AIADMK last November to join TVK.
Part of this effort includes the spree of inductions of more people from other parties, including the AIADMK.
On Thursday, over 300 functionaries, including former minister Vellamandi N Natarajan, former DGP and MLA R Natraj, former MLAs R Thangadurai and M Rajasekhar (Rajapalayam), along with former district secretaries, union councillors and youth wing members from the AIADMK and other parties joined the TVK at its headquarters in Panaiyur. In the past week, four AIADMK MLAs have resigned from their seats and joined the ruling party, drawing allegations of horse-trading by the TVK.
During Thursday’s event, TVK’s general secretary (election campaign management) Aadhav Arjuna praised Sengottaiyan and called on more members of the AIADMK to join the TVK.
“When Sengottaiyan joined the TVK, AIADMK leaders mocked him, but he (Sengottaiyan) knew the pulse of people. He is the one who was part of the cabinet of Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Jayalalithaa and now our leader’s,” Arjuna said.
However, TVK general secretary N Anand, took pains to assuage concerns of existing party workers and functionaries regarding the newcomers.
“The induction of newcomers will not in anyway affect existing party functionaries and our leader will not abandon anybody like that,” he told the gathering in Panaiyur.
Performance review of TVK’s 120 dist secretaries under way
“In another few months, local body polls are likely to happen, and the TVK is going to win in all 234 constituencies. Everybody will be given a chance in the polls,” Anand added.
As part of the party restructuring, a source privy to the developments told TNIE that senior TVK leaders have started to review the performance of its 120 district secretaries, apart from recognising the district and constituency-wise groundwork of the second-rung leaders.
“Based on the review, the existing party units may be restructured by expanding them and new district secretaries will be appointed. In well-established parties, the party’s district secretaries will be the minister in the region, who will have a say in the party unit as well the government.
But, most of our ministers do not hold a significant post inside the party. So, they would be given a significant post after restructuring,” the source told.
In Chennai, the TVK had allocated one constituency to one district secretary to take care of election work ahead of the Assembly polls. “Dedicating one district secretary for one constituency is said to have paid off the party in Chennai. Such an arrangement would be made across the state,” another TVK leader said.
The party, which now has six wings, including the IT and lawyers wings, is also set to expand its organisational footprint by adding a trade union wing, student wing and youth wing, among others, to match the cadre infrastructure of the Dravidian majors it displaced in the Assembly election.
C Vijaya Baskar at political crossroads
Pudukkottai: Amid mounting speculation over his political future, Viralimalai MLA C Vijaya Baskar on Thursday held consultations with his supporters and district-level AIADMK functionaries at his residence in Illupur. He was among the ‘rebel’ MLAs aligned with the C Ve Shanmugam-led faction that voted in favour of the TVK government during the Assembly floor test.