Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday night replaced S Saravana Perumal, one of the five candidates announced by her for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha (RS).
Saravana Perumal has been replaced by V Thangamuthu, secretary, farmers wing of the party and hailing from Thanjavur district. Thangamuthu was appointed to the post just 10 months ago on August 26, 2012.
A statement from the AIADMK headquarters here said the decision to replace Saravana Perumal was taken at a meeting of the party’s governing council which was chaired by the party chief.
In a separate statement here, Jayalalithaa said Saravana Perumal has been relieved from the post of secretary of the students wing of the AIADMK.
Earlier in the day, Makkal Seithi Mayyam, a website, carried a report about the criminal cases pending against Saravana Perumal and urged the CM to replace him.
The five candidates of the AIADMK — party Medical Wing president V Maitreyan, Nilgiris District secretary K R Arjunan, Tiruchy Rural District secretary T Rathinavel, Villupuram North District secretary Dr R Lakshmanan and AIADMK Farmers Wing Secretary V Thangamuthu are likely to file their nomination before the Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Secretariat on Wednesday.