DMK accommodates seniors, their sons in various wings

CHENNAI: The string of appointments made by the DMK for its various wings is a classic balancing act. The DMK high command has accommodated many seniors and their sons in various wings to keep them in good humour. Anna Arivalayam has created new president and joint/deputy secretary posts for various wings to engage the old timers or the one’s feeling ‘neglected’ without posts.

A quick glance of the reorganisation of the Doctor’s, engineers wing, unorganised drivers, IT wing, environment and even NRI wings of the DMK demonstrate the balancing act. While Thousand Lights MLA Dr N Ezhilan has been allowed to continue as the secretary of the doctor’s wing, the party has accommodated Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu and state PWD minister EV Velu’s son Dr EVV Kamban as president (newly created) and deputy secretaries, respectively.

Dr R Lakshmanan, MLA from Villupuram and former MP of AIADMK, has been given the post of joint secretary of the doctor’s wing. Equally glaring was the appointment of K Karunanidhi, brother of deputy speaker K Pichaandi and former party general secretary K Anbazhagan’s son cum incumbent MLA A Vetriazhagan and Pollachi MP K Shanmughasundaram as secretary, joint secretary and deputy secretary, respectively.

Dr R Mahendran, relative of south Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian and Karthik Mohan, son of Anna Nagar MLA M K Mohan were engaged in the engineer’s wing. Dr Poongodai Aladi Aruna, who was said to be sulking for a while, was made the president of the environment wing, for which Karthikeya Sivesenapathi would continue to be the secretary. North Chennai MP Dr Kalanidhi Veerasamy, son of former party treasurer Arcot N Veerasami has been entrusted the responsibility of the NRI wing presidency, while P Paruthi Ilamsuruthi, son of former DMK minister turned AIADMK functionary Paruthi Ilamvazhuthi, was given the deputy secretaryship of the NRI wing.

Former minister N Sureshrajan, senior ‘Yenathi’ P Balasubramaniam of Thanjavur and incumbent MLA R D Sekar have been made members of the audit committee of the party. Barring the youth wing and IT wing, the party has created new president posts in almost all party wings to accommodate either old timers like NKKP Periasamy, who has been made the president of the Agriculture wing.

A party senior who did not wish to be named admitted to it being a balancing act and said that there are many who feel that the party has not given them due acknowledgement. “Some of them are heirs of senior leaders. There are a good number of them who felt sidelined. NKKP Periasamy is a case in point. When the high command is keen on promoting the youth wing secretary, the leadership does not want seniors sulking ahead of a crucial Lok Sabha election, and that too when it is in power.

Only the ambitious youngsters who have been waiting on the wings for a while feel let down, ” the senior leader opined. Significantly, chief minister M K Stalin answered the cries of the left out ones by assuring in his letter to the cadre that those who trusted the party would not be given up. “I have made a note of those working truly. Your expectations would be fulfilled in the upcoming opportunities. I am here for you,” Stalin said in his letter to the cadre on Tuesday.