Ponmudi, Palanisamy likely to get key posts during gen council meet

Former ministers K Ponmudi and Pongalur N Palanisamy could likely be elevated to state-level posts in next week’s meeting which would formalise the election of party treasurer Duraimurugan and Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu as general secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Stalin was understood to have planned deputy general secretary post for Ponmudi and Palanisamy. While Ponmudi’s elevation, understandably, was being mooted to open up Villupuram central district space to other local party leaders, Palanisamy, whose hay day in contemporary politics was long gone in his home turf, could be a beneficiary of caste calculation. Stalin was learnt to be considering elevation for Palanisamy to appease the gounder community among whom ruling AIADMK wields sizable influence in the western districts. After suffering a defeat in the by election, Palanisamy was obviously elated by rumours about his likely elevation, with eye to strengthen the party in the Kongu region.

Meanwhile, Ponmudi was not enthused by the probable elevation. A disgruntled Ponmudi, DMK sources revealed, had even met Stalin in the city very recently to persuade him to offer something equivalent to the principal headquarters secretary post offered recently to his party peer KN Nehru, who has emerged as the reliable troubleshooter resolving party problems in one district after another for Stalin. However, Stalin had cold shouldered Ponmudi to settle for deputy general secretary for the time being. A dejected Ponmudi let his disappointment known by going off the grid during the last few days, including the September 3 district secretaries meeting in which he failed to make an appearance.

Now, Ponmudi is understood to be lobbying through influential youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin to get his MP son Gowtham Sigamani appointed secretary of Villupuram central district by bifurcating the party district. “Ponmudi is sulking, but he (president) is firm that he can only be given deputy general secretary post now. Palanisami’s elevation is speculative. Nothing is certain till September 9 morning,” said a party senior who did not wish to be named. Surprisingly, rumours were doing rounds in DMK about Stalin mulling over a joint-general secretary post for KN Nehru or EV Velu in the immediate future.