A. William Rabi Bernard, known as Rabi Bernard in the media circle is the AIADMK's candidate for the Rajya Sabha, according a press release by Chief Minister and party general secretary Jayalalithaa.
The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Pubic Works Department (PWD) Minister K.V. Ramalingam. Mr. Bernard was chosen by the Parliamentary Board of the party.
A journalist by profession, Mr Bernard worked for Radio Veritas in Philippines, before working briefly for ‘Dinamani' and ‘Indian Express'.
He then joined the visual communication department of Loyola College. “I was the first professor of the department,” 52- year-old Bernard said. It was the Sun TV, owned by Maran brothers who gave him the big break in the field of journalism. He caught the attention of the media world as well as general audience with a popular “nerukku ner” on the lines of Hard Talk. He did his homework well and grilled politicians and bigwigs.
He later joined Vijay TV, before joining Jaya TV, the mouthpiece of the AIADMK. He joined the party in 2006. Though he is doing talk shows and political commentaries, his object seems to be mobilising opinion in favour of the AIADMK.
New district secretaries
Ms Jayalalithaa has appointed party MLA K.T. Rajendra Balaji, representing Sivakasi Constituency, as the district secretary of the party unit of Virudhunagar.
MLA A.K. Bose from the Madurai North Constituency has become the secretary of the party's Madurai Urban district unit, replacing Sellur K. Raju, who has been included in the Cabinet. Former MLA K.K. Sivasami has been appointed secretary, Virudhunagar district unit AIADMK agriculture's wing.
