CHENNAI: Ahead of Deepavali, ministers and MLAs of the ruling DMK have begun the distribution of Deepavali gifts, each valued at several thousand rupees, to party functionaries across the state.
Though the DMK officially does not recognise Deepavali due to ‘its unscientific reasons,’ it is a usual practice of DMK district secretaries, ministers and elected representatives to give cash rewards a couple of days before the festival. This year, many district secretaries, ministers and elected representatives have begun distribution of gifts well in advance.
According to sources, ministers Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, KN Nehru, S Regupathy, Siva Meyyanathan, MRK Panneerselvam, CV Ganesan and more than 30 MLAs and MPs across the state have started distributing gifts in their region. The gifts range from cash component of Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000, firecracker gift boxes, clothing, household utensils, sweet boxes and other items.
It may be noted that before the DMK assumed office in 2021, influential party leaders like district secretaries used to give only modest cash rewards of around Rs 500 as Deepavali gifts, especially to those who visited their offices regularly. However, gifts are being distributed to all functionaries and booth-level agents this year.
A party functionary, on condition of anonymity, said, “Chief Minister MK Stalin recently said that if the DMK loses a seat in the 2024 LS polls, the minister and district secretaries of that constituency and region might lose their position. Several party cadres are not very happy with district functionaries and this might prevent them from giving their everything to poll-related work. It appears like the ministers and MLAs are sensing their dissatisfaction and distributing such gifts to keep them in good spirits.”
It is worth adding that over the past two years, DMK MLA of Trichy East S Inigo Irudhayaraj and Congress MLA Ruby R Manoharan, belonging to other religions, also distributed Deepavali gifts to their party functionaries and those in need.