Chennai: In a state where poaching rival party leaders is not new, DMK has been the worst casualty of political defections. Suspended party MLA Anitha Radhakrishnan and district secretary Karuppasamy Pandian aka Ka.Na may not be the last in the DMK to leave Anna Arivalayam for greener pastures. And it should come as no surprise either. For, in this latest round of defection, the DMK high command is to blame as much as the two leaders from southern districts.
Anitha and Ka Na have only joined the long list of defectors like Paruthi Ilamvazhuthi, J.K. Ritheesh and actor Napoleon, the most recent in the party to quit the party during testing times, after enjoying the fruits in the party’s heyday. A simple relook at the party’s candidate list of 2014 Lok Sabha will explain why the party is largely to blame for inconsistent politicians taking it for a
ride.
Names of engineering college proprietor Mohammed Jaleel and real estate baron Ratnavel, who were fielded in the DMK in Ramanatha-puram and Tirunelveli, were long forgotten by party cadres who struggle to even recall their most recent political activity leave alone their contribution to the party. Add the regional satraps or long-standing district secretaries to that, the needle of blame will tilt towards Gopalapuram as much as it does towards the defectors.
Take Anitha Radhakrishna for instance, the Tiruchendur MLA, who says; “Tuticorin DMK is nothing but Periasamy (district secretary) his son and daughter. What kind of district secretary will not field a candidate for union election and let the rival party win. It happened in Kayatharu union.”
“Does the high command know that ground reality even? I have reported to everyone. They are scared of questioning him. Ponmudi, K.N Nehru, late Veerapandi Arumugam, E.V .Velu and M.R.K. Panneerselvam are doing this in other districts” he alleged adding that all he got in DMK was three criminal complaints lodged against him by DMK men at the behest of Periasamy. “Will this happen in AIADMK?” he wondered admitting, “I am desirous to work in AIADMK, but leaders there are scared of conveying my intent to amma as I am ex-AIADMK member.”
Refusing to rebut his allegation in toto, a party senior requesting anonymity conceded saying, “It is true. Candidates come out of the blue. They were awarded tickets for want of men who were ready to spend for polls. Yes. The long standing district secretaries are ruining the party.” “If Stalin wants to reform, Kalaignar stops it and the vice versa. Now Kanimozhi has also joined. She puts weight fully behind Tuticorin Periyasamy’s family. What to do?” the leader wondered adding that all the leaders do was suspending defectors or to be defectors.
Ka Na’s trouble started during Lok Sabha poll
Rumours about Karuppasamy Pandian’s (probable) defection to rival camp have been echoing in Anna Arivalayam for a while now. The Tirunelveli (west) district secretary has been rubbing the DMK high command on the wrong side even since the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. Annoyed over his son being denied a party ticket, trouble brewed for Pandian when Stalin struck down his son Sankar’s name for one of the party secretaries posts in Tirunelveli district. Pandian vainly sought legal recourse to anoint his son in the organizational polls in which party treasurer had the last word.
Stalin did not just humble him by declining Sankar’s name he even had his “yes men” or rather Pandian’s local inner-party rivals appointed district secretaries. Grapevine has it that Pandian started sending feelers to Poes Garden since then. Sources have it that the DMK district secretary, suspended for violating party discipline, is waiting for AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa to grant audience.
DC first broke the story about his probable defection to AIADMK a few days back. Dt Secy meet on May 25: Meanwhile, the DMK has summoned its district secretaries for a meeting at party headquarters here on May 25.
