The DMK which is already facing internal problems due to the revolt of its suspended South Zone secretary M K Alagiri was hit with another factional feud in Thanjavur following the announcement of former Union Minister T R Baalu as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections.
The disgruntled cadre of DMK in Thanjavur district on Monday burnt Baalu’s effigy. The cadre, mostly panchayat union level office bearers of the party, assembled in front of Anna statue near Thanjavur old bus stand and raised slogans against Baalu.
They tore the photographs of Baalu and shouted slogans demanding change of candidate for Thanjavur Lok Sabha seat.
As the traffic in old bus stand area was affected due to the agitation organised after the announcement of the DMK candidates list by the party’s high command, the police rushed to the spot and doused the fire from the effigy. The police also asked the cadre of the party to disperse.
Even as party cadre started dispersing, S N M Ubayadullah former State minister and town secretary of the party arrived at the spot and pacified the cadre. Those who participated in the agitation are said to be the supporters of S S Palanimanickam, former Union Minister and the current Thanjavur MP. S S Palanimanickam, the district secretary of the party had contested from Thanjavur constituency eight times and won five times consecutively.
There is a simmering feud between the two for some time as T R Baalu as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways used to announce new trains passing through Thanjavur independently without accompanying S S Palanimanickam who is the district secretary of the party.
Palanimanickam also had raised the issue of the hazard of the environmental pollution of the distillery unit proposed to be set up by T R Baalu at Vadacherry village near Orathanadu.
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