Stalin to axe few district secs

DMK president MK Stalin might don his dictator’s hat soon. At least half a dozen district secretaries have Damocles’ sword hanging above their heads. If the DMK sources privy to the development are to be believed, Stalin has prepared a list of district secretaries who would face the axe for poor election performance and party activities.

Going by the sources, district secretaries of Villupuram, Vellore, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Thiruvallur and north Chennai are high on the hitlist. The party high command was understood to have planned action against Villupuram district secretary K Ponmudi and Tirunelveli district secretary R Avudaiyappan for poor showing in the recent two-seat bypolls.

“The margin of bypoll defeat in the two districts, reduced victory margin in Vellore and the inactivity of some local functionaries in the two districts have annoyed the leadership. The high command is mulling a replacement for them,” opined a party insider requesting anonymity.

Secretaries of the other ‘vulnerable’ districts were being included for the party’s decline in their turfs over the years. Significantly, the local body election was the only deterrent to Stalin effecting the purge.“Reshuffle might be delayed if the civic polls are conducted anytime soon. The high command doubts that the AIADMK might delay the election at the nick of the time. Sacking them ahead of the election would dent the morale of cadre there. Hence, the delay. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time before the district secretaries get disciplined,” said a DMK source. Surprisingly, the purge might not seem as rude as Stalin had sounded in the general council. Stalin has planned to elevate a few district secretaries to state-level posts and replace them with relatively young leaders so that they would bring new ideas and work in syncwith the rejuvenated youth wing headed by Udhayanidhi Stalin.

“Elevating them to state-level posts would placate the sacked non-performers. Also, it would open space for others and help party workers, who are tired of seeing same membersrule districts for decades, nurture ambitions,” remarked the source.