CHENNAI: A section of DMK cadre and functionaries from the party’s Tenkasi North district unit staged a protest at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam on Sunday, seeking a fair election to pick the head of their unit. They alleged some State-level party leaders tried to give the district secretary post to Tenkasi MP Dhanush M Kumar, who is from Virudhunagar district.
Sunday was the deadline to file nominations for district-level DMK posts, and ministers Ma Subramanian, PK Sekar Babu, EV Velu, R Gandhi, and SM Nasar were among the approximately 1,200 people who submitted nominations for about 1,000 posts, party sources said. But at the party headquarters, about 200 cadre from the DMK’s Tenkasi North district unit squatted before the entrance, demanding that the party high command conduct a fair election for their unit.
“Of the 54 functionaries eligible to vote in our district unit, 52 support the incumbent district secretary M Chelladurai,” said P Muthuraj, organiser of the DMK students wing, Kadayanallur. “But sources say State-level leaders who are to oversee the election have decided to elevate a functionary from Virudhunagar district to the post of Tenkasi district secretary despite knowing that the incumbent district secretary has the support of the majority. Hence, we decided to protest,” he added.
Madasmy, a DMK functionary from Tenkasi North district, said they only want a fair poll. In Tenkasi, a senior DMK leader who wished to remain anonymous said Chief Minister MK Stalin should intervene. “While we are working day and night for the party at the grassroots level, they (State-level leaders) are attempting to snatch the top post from our district. This is unacceptable,” he stated.
Another functionary said thousands of DMK cadre would have to leave the party if the district secretary is picked in an undemocratic manner. Later, a team of headquarters functionaries led by Poochi Murugan met the protesters and promised to take up the issue with the party leadership. TNIE’s calls to State-level DMK leaders went unanswered.
Second successive day of protests at party HQ
On Saturday too, a section of DMK cadre from Tirunelveli district tried to besiege the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, to express their displeasure over the actions of party leaders against the wishes of ground-level workers
(Inputs from Thinakaran Rajamani @ Tenkasi)