No consensus in DMK’s Chennai district unit polls

Hectic parleying is on in the four DMK district units in the state capital as no agreement is in sight in the organisational polls, which nearly hit a cul-de-sac here. In almost all four units of Chennai DMK district, two or three-cornered contest appears imminent. District secretaries have been elected to 55 district party units except Chennai, Salem and Erode.

It is understood that it may not be a cakewalk for long standing secretaries of unified south and north district units J. Anbazhagan and R.D. Sekar. Both their units were bifurcated.

AIADMK heavyweight turned Stalin loyalist, Sekar Babu is frontrunner in north and ex-minister KPP Samy is facing heat from Madhavaram Sudarshanam in the East. Stalin confidant and ex-mayor M. Subramanian is crossing swords with his one-time subordinate KK Nagar Dhansekaran in the south.

In all probability, all four DMK district secretaries in the city would be thalapathi loyalists, as it is in most part of the state, particularly one-time bastion of suspended south zone organizing secretary Alagiri’s Madurai where all four district heads are Stalin supporters.

Except Dindugul district secretary I.P. Periasamy and former minister Suba. Thangavelan in Ramanathapuram, none of the party regional satraps has managed to get district posts for their heirs.

Stalin backed former minister’s like M.R.K. Panneerselvam and K. Ponmudi had to be content with leading a part of districts they led in toto for years. Karuppasamy Pandian, Durai Murugan and S.S. Palanimanickam, Pongalur Palanisamy are some fallen heroes.

Though it might be considered an overreach of Stalin by a few, party insiders admit that the party badly needed this cleansing as voters were fed up with the excesses committed by some regional heavyweights.

That apart, young blood had to be infused in the party and this is the time and way to do it, a senior state functionary requesting anonymity opined.