DMK announces four city district secretaries

Chennai: The opposition DMK on Wednesday announced four new district secretaries for Chennai having 22 Assembly seats in its ambit. The DMK, in its party organ, Murasoli, listed former Chennai mayor M. Subramanian as the new district secretary for South Chennai, S. Sudarsanam for Chennai North, Chepauk-Triplicane legislator J. Anbazhagan for Chennai West and P K Sekar Babu for Chennai East.

Chennai had always been a fortress of the DMK’s, even during matinee idol MGR’s days, but in the recent Lok Sabha, assembly and councillor elections, the party faced a rout. The party hopes to gain more seats in the assembly polls scheduled next year by bifurcating Chennai district.The DMK earlier had only two district secretaries for Chennai, retaining J. Anbazhagan as one of them, while the three others are new to the top party posts, hand picked by DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin.

In the lot, Sekar Babu who switched loyalties to the DMK ahead of the 2011 Assembly polls, has now been rewarded, sidelining a strong contender B. Ranganathan. Most of the district secretaries in the DMK are old timers in the party.Meanwhile, DMK general secretary K. Anbhazagan announced in a statement that the party general council meeting would be held on January 9.

The general council will conduct elections for the top party posts, including president, general secretary and treasurer. With 90 per cent of the party posts after organisational polls being announced, rumours of Stalin’s elevation in the party to the post of general secretary, are also making the rounds at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters.