Udhayanidhi acts fast, sacks 2 youth wing heads

Hardly a week has gone by since he took over the reins of the DMK youth wing, but the Stalin junior has already axed two district heads of the DMK youth wing. He has sacked organisers of Nagapattinam and Madurai districts.

He has shown the door to incumbent G Ramkumar with SP Malarvannan of Tirukuvalai, native of his grandfather and former DMK president Karunanidhi.

The change of guard in Nagapattinam youth wing leadership has been done owing to non-performance of Ramkumar, who, an announcement made to this effect by Udhayanidhi Stalin in party organ ‘Murasoli’ on Tuesday said, was not engaging in party activities and staying out of station.

Incumbent R Balaji of Madurai (south) has been replaced with P Madhankumar on the same day. Though the reorganisation was being done to create a smooth working atmosphere for the new state youth wing secretary, party insiders also felt that the weeding out exercise was long overdue in many wings of the DMK, especially youth wing which had some old timers still holding positions.

Presence of Suba Chandrasekar of Jayakondam in the youth wing was a case in point. “Chandrasekar was a youth wing office-bearer during the days of Anbil Poyyamozhi. He continues now when Anbil’s son Mahesh Poyyamozhi holds the office of deputy state secretary. Such people must be sent to the parent party. Chandrasekar has become a member of the bylaw amendment resolution committee,” reasoned a senior DMK leader requesting anonymity.

“Even Stalin was hesitant in axing some long serving district secretaries, who have become white elephants in the party. Stalin defanged them gradually by bifurcating districts. Udhayanidhi has not waited that long. He has started the weeding out exercise in a few days,” reasoned a party district secretary requesting anonymity.

“Everyone knows that the new youth wing leader is very powerful. Functionaries are replaced without any questions being asked,” said a Youth wing functionary, before adding that more replacements would happen in the weeks to follow.