TTV Dinakaran’s dismissal spree continues

Dinakaran continued with his shake-up of the party ranks, removing Information Minister Kadambur V Raju as the secretary of Thoothukudi Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Peravai, a forum named after Jayalalithaa. He also removed former minister CT Chellapandian as Thoothukudi district secretary. 

In a statement, he announced splitting the district as Thoothukudi North and South, party-wise. His supporter and Oddapidaram MLA R Sundararaj will be secretary for Thoothukudi North and R Henry Thomas for South unit, Dinakaran stated in a statement. 

All the appointments were being made with the approval of Sasikala, he said. Dinakaran has been regularly shaking up the party appointing his supporters in key positions since August 21, when the two factions of the AIADMK led by Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam merged. 

Meanwhile in Puducherry, Sundararaj created a flutter when he was found missing from the resort, where the 19 MLAs have been staying. When asked about it, Andipatti MLA Thangatamilselvan said that he had travelled to Chennai to meet Dinakaran after his nomination as Thoothukudi district secretary. 

“He will travel to his native and return later,” he added. Sasikala’s brother V Divakaran, meanwhile, continued to target Palaniswami and reiterated his charges of corruption against the government. He expressed concern over the state’s debt situation and questioned the government’s claim of the state being power-surplus.