DMK members were sidelined

Both former MLA V. Karuppasamy Pandian and sitting MLA of the Tiruchendur constituency Anitha Radhakrishnan have reasons to leave the DMK.

Mr. Pandian who gradually emerged a powerful leader in the DMK in Tirunelveli district, had a running feud with another heavyweight and former Assembly Speaker R. Avudaiappan. He, however, lost his clout in the organisation after the DMK carved out more district units from bigger districts.

As he felt it was below his dignity to become a secretary of a district, just a fraction of an area he used to control, he refused to contest in the party polls. His attempt to get a district secretary post for his son V.K.P. Shankar also failed. In a party meeting, he remarked that it was like demoting a district collector to a position of tahsildar.

Of late he has been keeping a low profile, removed the DMK flag from his party and attired in a dhoti without the party’s red and black border and even kept away from attending meetings presided over by DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin.

A three-time MLA, Mr Anitha Radhakrishnan, was a Minister in the AIADMK Cabinet between 2001 and 2006. He was also the AIADMK’s Tuticorin district secretary and joined the DMK in 2009 August after he was totally sidelined by the AIADMK high command.

The DMK fielded him as its candidate in the Tiruchendur by-election in 1999, necessitated by his resignation from the MLA post. He won the seat by a margin of 46,861 votes.

In a short span of time he secured a place in the party through his hard work and unassuming approach. But he was not able to surmount the obstacles created by Thoothkudi strong man N. Periyasamy, who saw a threat in the growing popularity of Mr Radhakrishnan.