From an insignificant post of deputy secretary in the medical wing of the AIADMK, M. Manikandan has had a meteoric rise to become an MLA, Minister for Information Technology and the party’s Ramanathapuram district secretary within a short span of time. On Thursday, he had his first fall. Party general secretary Jayalalithaa sacked him from the powerful party post.
Seen as a new face when the party announced his candidature for Ramanathapuram Assembly seat, Dr. Manikandan, a medical practitioner, won the seat to emerge powerful in the already faction-ridden party unit in the district.
After he secured berth in the cabinet he was appointed as district secretary on June 8.
Within three weeks after he replaced R. Dharmar as district secretary, the party high command sacked him from the post on Thursday.
Local party men say his high-handedness cost him the party post.
Interaction
An interaction with a cross-section of office-bearers revealed that the Minister tried to send home the message that he was all powerful in the party and wanted him to be projected above all leaders in the district.
Some of the senior leaders were also snubbed publicly, they say.
When the Minister opened the MLA office two weeks ago, he insisted that Collector and Superintendent of Police call on him at his office.
Collector S. Natarajan visited him and when the SP N. Manivannan failed to oblige, the Minister made his Personal Security Officer (PSO) to ask the SP to call on him, official sources said.
In a recent review meeting, Dr. Manikandan humiliated a senior official of Fisheries Department, official sources said.
In the present shake-up, Ms. Jayalalithaa has appointed former district secretary M.A. Muniasamy for a second term.
His wife Keerthika Muniasamy, who unsuccessfully contested from Mudukulathur Assembly constituency, was recently posted as the party’s women’s wing joint secretary at the State level.
New office-bearers
The high command has also appointed new sets of office-bearers for Kamudhi and Mudukulathur unions, notable among them being former Mudukulathur MLA M. Murugan.
He insisted that Collector and Superintendent of Police call on him at his office
