DMK gets second woman district secretary

M Muthamilselvi, town secretary of Jolarpet, has been named as Vellore (west) district secretary, replacing K Devaraju. Like in the recent past, the reorganisation was triggered by the poor performance during the recent Assembly election. 

The party had managed to win only one of the four constituencies falling under Vellore (west) district. With the elevation of Muthamilselvei, daughter of deceased Jolarpet town secretary Mani, who had a long standing in the party, the strength of women district secretaries in DMK has increased to two. 

Angayarkannai from Villupuram is the only other woman office-bearer heading a district DMK unit. Angayarkanni shot to prominence after last year’s party district bifurcation led by its treasurer MK Stalin. Angayarkanni heads Villpuram (north) DMK unit, which was so far fully controlled by former higher education minister and local heavyweight K Ponmudi. 

Proponent of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliamentary and Assembly polls, the DMK has had noteworthy influential district secretaries like Vasuki Murugesan of Karur, who died in a car crash in 2009. 

DMK and even AIADMK members would not have forgotten the images of a furious Vasuki holding a wooden log and chasing the Opposition members during the 2009 Lok Sabha election in Karur bus terminus. 

Though the elevation of Kanimozhi to the post of party women’s wing secretary created some buzz then, the DMK has still been found wanting on accommodating women. Even party insiders admit that barring Kanimozhi, hardly a few women leaders are active in the DMK. 

Even the likes of Sargunapandian and Subbulakshmi Jagadeeshan are content with reminiscing their glorious past and sharing dais with the party president M Karunanidhi on occasions.