The Hindu : Front Page : Azhagiri dons party mantle

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Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009
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Azhagiri dons party mantle

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Appointed DMK south zone organising secretary

— Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

M.K. Azhagiri with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Chennai.

CHENNAI: M.K. Azhagiri, the DMK’s Thirumangalam by-poll committee chairman, was appointed the party’s south zone organising secretary on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced that he would confer with party general secretary K. Anbazhagan and “order” Mr. Azhagiri to accept a party post.

“Yes, I am surprised at the speed with which this happened,” said Mr. Azhagiri, when asked if he expected a party post so soon. “But knowing Kalaignar (Mr. Karunanidhi), I should not be,” he added.

Mr. Azhagiri, who had refused to accept a party post for more than two decades, said that he was prepared to shoulder the responsibility that he has been assigned. Asked if he had been given the post to shore up the party in the southern districts, he retorted: “You should not have asked this after (the results of the) Thirumangalam (bypoll).”

Mr. Azhagiri had a steady stream of visitors and well-wishers calling on him in Chennai ever since the announcement was made in the afternoon. In fact, he had no inkling of the move even when his family and his siblings’ families gathered for lunch at Mr. Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence. Later in the evening, Mr. Azhagiri came back to meet the Chief Minister and seek his blessings. The south zone organising secretary’s post has been vacant for more than two decades. Playwright and former Member of Legislative Council S.S. Thennarasu had occupied the post in the eighties. The post remained vacant after his death.

In the party hierarchy, the post that Mr. Azhagiri has been given is next to that of the deputy general secretaries. In the party general council last month, elections to three top posts were conducted — president, general secretary and treasurer. All three elections were unanimous. According to the party constitution, the general secretary can appoint secretaries to various wings and deputy general secretaries to assist him.

These names would have been announced within a week of the party election, but for the Thirumangalam by-election.

In that line, Mr. Azhagiri’s is the first appointment to be made. The other names including those of the deputy general secretaries are expected to be announced soon.

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