According to party insiders, there are eight AIADMK district units led by district secretaries, an all-time high for any political party in the state, but the recent postings of district secretaries in AIADMK has created a sense of dissent among incumbent district secretaries.

The situation is such that the old group of district secretaries are yet to greet the new crop of appointed district secretaries in Chennai. The old-timers are seeing the newly appointed office-bearers as a political threat and the bonhomie is missing, admit AIADMK insiders.

“The old district secretaries are ignoring the new office-bearers and this is visible in case of Adhi Rajaram, who was recently appointed as district secretary for Thousand lights and Chepauk Assembly constituency. T Nagar Sathya and Virugai Ravi, the other district secretaries are yet to greet the new appointees Adhi Rajaram and MK Ashok,” said an AIADMK office-bearer.

“It is the ward and area secretaries who are caught in dissent politics within the party, said an aspiring AIADMK ticket seeker for the upcoming polls. “Former MLA K Kuppan of Tiruvottriyur, AIADMK functionaries MM Babu of Saidapet and Contractor Krishnamurthy of Kolathur have already raised a revolt for being not considered to the district secretary posts,” said AIADMK north Chennai MGR Mandram functionary Poonga Nagar Selvam. Several workers and party old-timers are unhappy with Ministers and district secretaries and these issues should be addressed before the next Assembly polls, Selvam noted.

The AIADMK leaders have created more district units to ensure better campaign. There will be dissent in any political party and this will not affect the party during elections, said an AIADMK spokesperson wishing not to be named. Voters don’t care who is the district secretary and their dissents, it is the party’s welfare schemes and leaders that bring votes. Dissents are also there in DMK and it is a minor issue, he added.