VIRUDHUNAGAR: The removal of Minister for Milk and Dairy Development KT Rajenthra Bhalaji from the post of AIADMK Virudhunagar district secretary is no shocker to those in the party. Partymen said they had been expecting this for nearly a month. Though the exact reason for the removal has not been mentioned in the statement, undersigned by Coordinator O Paneerselvam and Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami, released on Sunday, speculations are rife among the partymen.
A senior partyman said a recent note by intelligence sleuths to Chief Minister on the comments made by Bhalaji about the party high command could be the key reason for his removal. “The minister’s speeches allegedly inciting violence could also have added fuel to the fire. CPM and Muslim outfits have been raising this allegation against him for some time now. This has also created a sense of dissatisfaction among the minorities, which the party fears might show it in bad light during the upcoming State assembly elections,” he said.
A functionary, who holds a key post in the district, on request of anonymity, said that everyone in the district knows about the tussle between the minister and Sattur MLA Rajavarman, who is a supporter of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. “Several party functionaries had launched complaints about the minister’s lethargic attitude and cited it as the reason for the backlash faced by the party in the recently held rural local body elections in the districts,” he added.
The functionary said that though the partymen had been expecting Bhalaji’s removal from the post for the last two to three weeks, it was the foundation stone laying ceremony of Virudhunagar Medical College Hospital that delayed the decision. “Soon after the function, the brutal attack on the Sivakasi-based reporter Karthi and the subsequent naming of Bhalaji in the complaint could have made the party’s decision much stronger,” he said.
Meanwhile, a close aide of Bhalaji said that the minister himself volunteered to quit the post, citing his health condition. “Due to the burden of the ministerial work, he requested the high command to relieve him from the party post,” they said, adding that the next district secretary will be appointed only after consulting Bhalaji. According to sources, now, two names are being considered for the post - ex-MLA of Sivakasi Balagangadharan and Sattur MLA Rajavaraman.