Chennai, Jan 19 (BPNS)

The DMK seems to be in the grip of dynasty politics with the party appointing the son of T.R. Baalu, TRB Raja as the new IT wing secretary. He will replace the state finance minister, PTR Thiagarajan who has stepped down recently from the post citing work pressure as state finance minister. DMK in a press statement on Tuesday informed.

TR Baalu is the party’s treasurer as well as the floor leader in the Rajya Sabha and has been a Union Minister during the party’s representation in coalition governments of both NDA and UPA.

TRB Raja is incidentally a third-term legislator from the Mannargudi assembly constituency.  Party also appointed Rajya Sabha MP, Dr.M.M. Abdulla as the party’s NRI wing state secretary.

DMK has several heirs holding crucial party posts with the son of Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, Udayanidhi Stalin holding the post of youth wing secretary, and MLA. Chief Minister’s sister Kanimozhi is a loksabha deputy leader as well as the woman’s wing secretary.

Higher education minister, K. Ponmudi’s son P. Gowtham Sigamani is the Kallakuruchi MP of the party while Kathir Anand is the son of senior party leader and waterworks minister, S. Duraimurugan is the Vellore MP of the party.

There are several other DMK leaders who have anointed their sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces as their heirs in the party and DMK is turning into a political party with allegiance to dynasty politics, a move that was strongly opposed by its founder, C.N . Annadurai.

It was the party patriarch and former Chief Minister, late M. Karunanidhi who brought in both his sons, M.K. Stalin and M.K. Azhagiri, and his daughter Kanimozhi to politics providing them prominent positions. Azhagiri later fell out with his father and his younger brother Stalin and was stripped of his party positions and is now in political silence.