Jolted by the ‘defection’ by the party’s Thousand Lights MLA Ku Ka Selvam in protest over the appointment of N Sitrarasu as the in-charge of Chennai (west) party district, DMK president MK Stalin has reached out to the area secretaries in the state capital to assuage the ruffled feathers within the party.
Chennai:
Stalin is understood to have lent ears to these ground level leaders of Chennai west party district individually a few days ago.
Sources within the DMK said Stalin summoned senior area secretaries of the party unit to his residence a couple of days ago and heard their grievances individually. A source privy to the meeting said Stalin assured the area secretaries that their seniority would not be overlooked and they would be properly compensated later.
The DMK party chief was also learnt to have defended the out-of-turn promotion given to the youth wing functionary to the coveted post even while conceding that their anger was justified. The area secretaries, who had publicly voiced their dissatisfaction in the maiden meeting Sitrarasu had convened at Anbagam on August 2, were asked to strive for victory in the ensuing Assembly elections.
Significantly, lack of consultation was one of the major grievances they had raised during the meeting at Anbagam, which Stalin has heeded now.
Surprised by Stalin’s effort to reach out to them, the area secretaries confided to their associates that the compensation assurance could mean MLA ticket next year.
“If the high command had done this a fortnight ago, we would not have suffered so much of bad press since last week. Speculation about some functionaries could also have been avoided. Such meetings inspire confidence among functionaries, making them believe that the leadership was aware of the mood of the cadre,” said a State-level functionary who did not wish to be named.
The DMK top brass has also reached out to a few ‘unhappy’ and vulnerable elected representatives and seniors approached by the saffron camp. It is said that a prominent MLA from a southern district issued a statement denying rumours about his ‘defection’ after the high command got in touch with him after MLA Selvam’s open rebellion.
DMK treasurer Duraimurugan too had issued a statement denying a media report claiming that he was dissatisfied over the delay in elevating him to the post of general secretary. It was supposed to have happened on March 29, but was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.