Stalin removes LS poll in-charges

Stalin is understood to have informally instructed the MLAs during Monday’s meeting of district secretaries and MLAs to go easy on the election preparation work in districts allocated to them.

The decision was triggered by resistance and unhappiness expressed by a few senior district secretaries who had reservations about ‘juniors’ and ‘outsiders’ monitoring poll preparation worksin their turf.

Stalin had earlier appointed two persons, a senior and a junior MLA, in-charge of each seat to gear up for the ensuing election. The DMK leader had even collected reports from them and handed over the same to his data analysing team to study the chances of winning in each constituency.

However, insiders claim power struggle between junior MLAs and district bosses overshadowed Monday meeting. According to sources, Villupuram district secretary and former minister K Ponmudi abstained from the meeting. He is said to be upset over Stalin’s praise for his party colleague in the district Masthan, whose family wedding Stalin had attended on Sunday. A source privy to the development said Stalin had described Masthan as one of the five role-model district secretaries the rest should learn from.

However, Ponmudi is learnt to have cited health reasons for avoiding the meeting. A handful of party seniors are understood to have reservations about the interference of Stalin’s PR machinery in the regular party affairs.