Duraimurugan episode a pointer to Stalin rejig

Chennai: The Duraimurugan resignation episode may not be the last the DMK leadership will see for a while. Mutiny, if not as conspicuous as party deputy general secretary Duraimurugan’s, by a few more regional satraps could unfold before the organisational rejig engineered by party treasurer M.K. Stalin gets over. For, Stalin has again said a categorical ‘no’ to party regional leaders fielding their heirs in the organisational polls. And Duraimurugan’s son Kathir Anand was the first major casualty of Stalin’s ‘no heir’ policy, which, he near strictly followed even while allocating seats for the 16th Lok Sabha polls. (Except in Thoothukudi where the party fielded district secretary Periyasamy’s son P. Jegan, no heir was given ticket in the 16th LS poll.)

The riposte of Anna Arivalayam a day after Duraimurugan’s alleged resignation hit the headlines was in itself an indicator of the differences between the leadership and the party deputy general secretary from Vellore who did not ink his name in the DMK statement, titled “False news-Duraimurugan’s denial”. In the same breath, the parting remarks of the carefully worded statement quoted Duraimurugan as calling Stalin his ‘guide’. Quick to play down the resignation episode as “utter falsehood” over phone from Vellore on Thursday, the Vellore strongman on Saturday refused to comment.

However, party sources privy to the development admitted that Duraimurugan had tendered the resignation in protest against Stalin stonewalling his son Kathir Anand’s candidature for Vellore district secretary post and the rejoinder was a damage control planned by party president Karunanidhi. But for a handful of his confidants, Stalin will likely show the door to most district secretary’s sons in the organisational revamp, a senior party leader requesting anonymity told DC.

Even prominent names like Pongalur N. Palanisamy (Coimbatore), N.K.K. Periasamy, K.N. Nehru (Erode), K. Ponmudi (Villupuram), N. Perisamy (Thoothukudi), M.R.K. Pa-nneerselvam (Cuddalore), I. Periasamy (Dindigul) and Karuppasamy Pandian (Tirunelveli), some of whom are close to Stalin, are feeling jittery about the way things unfold in the run-up to the district secretary election.

“Vellore is not a stray case. Thalapathi has stopped regional leaders’ sons from contesting the polls in many more districts,” a state functionary said, adding that, “More regional leaders will seek district-level posts for their sons if the high command obliges Duraimurugan.” The very idea of doubling the district units to 65 recently was to accommodate newer faces and clip the wings of long-standing district secretaries.The statewide tour Stalin undertook recently was only a reality check and identification of potential candidates seconding his view in the party, a disgruntled district secretary requesting anonymity said.

wondering where was intra-party democracy if aspirants, be them sons/daughters of regional leaders, are prevented from even contesting.However, many functionaries justified that Stalin’s idea infuses young blood and keeps a tab on regional leaders.