AIADMK braces up for 2021 battle, appoints poll panels

AIADMK senior leader R Vaithilingam will be the overall district secretary handling both the district units of Thanjavur. The Thanjavur north district secretary post was earlier with former agriculture minister R Doraikannu who recently passed away.

Secretary of Anna Thozhirsangam post held by Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar has been assigned to party old-timer R Kamalakannan.

In another key development in the party, Sasikala loyalist and Dairy Development Minister Rajenthra Bhalaji, who was relieved of his district secretary post sometime back is rewarded again with the Virudhunagar district secretary post. Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman, who was the secretary for the undivided Tirupur will now handle a party of the rural unit. while Animal Husbandry Minister Udumalai K Radhakrishnan and former MP C Mahendran would be in charge of Tirupur (rural–west) and Tirupur (rural–east), a press statement from the AIADMK said.

With the recent changes, the number of district units in the AIADMK had gone up to 73. Minister K Pandiarajan, who was earlier hinted to be a district secretary will now be zonal in-charge monitoring Tiruvallur district units.

In another strategy to counter their arch-rival DMK, the party had divided the state into 29 zones and appointed point persons for each. Sixteen Ministers, including KA Sengottaiyan, D Jayakumar and CVe Shanmugam are now the zonal in-charges.

For poll-bound Puducherry Mettur legislator S Semmalai and Industries Minister MC Sampath were announced as state in-charge. The election campaign strategy committee will be led by former Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai. Former Chennai corporation councillor A Noorjahan was elevated as state women’s wing deputy leader.