Chennai

Reiterating that the party was more important than persons, Stalin, writing in party organ ‘Murasoli,’ on Wednesday cautioned functionaries not to try to ‘save’ errant office-bearers. The office-bearers in the hit list of the DMK chief were either poor performers who contributed the party organisation’s decay in a district orthose who colluded with the ruling party during the civic body polls.

There was a buzz in the DMK circles in the run up to the just concluded executive committee meeting that Stalin could reprimand functionaries who had cost the party dearly in the polls. DT Next had reported weeks ago that district secretaries of Tiruvallur, Vellore and a couple of districts in western region were facing the music. DMK insiders had also revealed under condition of anonymity that the party president was eyeing an elevation for a few second rung leaders and disciplinary action against a few district secretaries.

If sources in the party were to be believed, former ministers KN Nehru, EV Velu and K Ponmudi could be given state-level posts like deputy general secretary or headquarters secretary. The posts vacated by the long standing second rung leaders would be filled with relatively young functionaries to infuse some fresh blood into the party organisations there, a party insider who did not wish to be named said.

A few seniors like Ponmudi, who had made the moves to get his son Gowthamsigamani to head Villupuram party district, had cold water poured in their plans owing to the recent drubbing in Vikravandi by-election.

Stalin revealed a glimpse of his intention in the Tuesday meeting when he made specific inquiries about the abject civic poll failure with secretaries of Namakkal and Karur districts, where the AIADMK trumped the DMK completely. Though Karur’s Senthil Balaji might save his seat through the good graces of Stalin’s family, Namakkal district secretary Gandhiselvan, sources said, might be in for some disciplinary action.

A couple of posts in the northern districts and Tirunelveli down south, Stalin might do some reorganising in the party structure in tune with the recent bifurcation of the districts.

Don’t relocate Intellectual Property Appellate Board out of CHENNAI: Stalin

DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday expressed shock and opposed the Centre’s proposed move to relocate the Intellectual Property Appellate (IPA) Board from its principal seat in Chennai and urged the PMO to rescind the move immediately. In a tweet, Stalin said, “Shocked to hear that the Government of India is considering relocating Intellectual Property Appellate Board from its principal seat in Chennai.” “Any such move would be unfair and against the interests of the city and state. I urge @PMOIndia to rescind this move at once,” he added.

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