Chennai, Sept 23 (BPNS)
The state leadership of the DMK is in hectic parleys with candidates who have submitted their nomination papers for the 19 district secretary posts in the state. Tamil Nadu DMK has 72 party districts while there are only 38 revenue districts.
The nomination for the posts of district secretaries and other district council members commenced on Thursday and will end on Sunday.
While there are possibilities of a compromise between the leaders in ten party districts, elections are likely to take place. In Tenkasi South, Tirunelveli east, Theni north, Ramanathapuram, and Sivaganga districts there will be a keen fight for the post of district secretary.
It is to be noted that the district secretary post in DMK is very powerful and all the party legislators including ministers have to report before the district secretaries on the issues pertaining to the respective districts.
This will lead to fierce fights between incumbent candidates and fresh faces. However, with the DMK youth wing leader, Udayanidhi Stalin having taken more interest in organizational affairs, a coterie has developed around him who is trying to call the shots for the district secretary level elections in Tamil Nadu.
In many districts, incumbent district secretaries are fighting for the post but sources in the DMK told BPNS that those who owe complete allegiance to the first family of the party will get the nod.
With Sunday being the last day for submitting the nominations, hectic parleys are taking place with several state leaders trying to reach for a unanimous candidate in each district.
Dr. G. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai, and a political and social observer while speaking to BPNS said, “It is no secret that Udayanidhi Stalin is a major power centre of the DMK in Tamil Nadu and ultimately the 19 district secretaries who will be in charge of the party affairs in these districts will be only those who get the green signal from the first family of DMK.”
