Dinakaran removes CM from party post

CHENNAI: Upping the ante in his fight against the ruling establishment, sidelined AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran on Sunday removed Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami from the post of party’s Salem district secretary.

In a party release here, Dinkaran, fighting to assert his supremacy in the wake of the recent merger of the two AIADMK factions, announced Palaniswami was relieved from his post of Salem suburban district secretary effective Sunday.

Palaniswami is also the party’s headquarters secretary but there is no mention about it in Dinakaran’s release.

Dinakaran has been sacking several party functionaries, especially district secretaries, a key post in the Dravidian parties’ hierarchy, and replacing them with his supporters ever since the merger of AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and former chief minister Panneerselvam on August 21.

After the merger, it has been announced that steps would be taken to expel jailed party general secretary and Dinakaran’s aunt VK Sasikala from the party.

The ruling establishment leaders have also been maintaining that Dinakaran has no powers to carry out the changes and questioned his re-induction into the party by Sasikala.

With his latest action, Dinakaran seeks to convey that he is determined to take on even the CM for their opposition to Sasikala. He said Salem suburban district secretary and former MLA SK Selvam will replace Palaniswami as the district secretary.

“Party cadres are asked to extend their cooperation to Selvam,” he said. Dinakaran, sidelined by the Palainiswami camp in April last, added that the announcement was being made with the “approval” of Sasikala, who is serving her jail term in a Bengaluru prison in a corruption case. Dinakaran had on Saturday relieved government chief whip S Rajendran from the post of Ariyalur district secretary as well.

DINAKARAN WANTS TO CONVEY THAT HE IS DETERMINED TO TAKE ON EVEN THE CM FOR HIS OPPOSITION TO SASIKALA