News Tamil Nadu

DMK Leadership Shuffles Ranks, Strips Senji Masthan’s Party Position

June 13, 2024
The Commune

The DMK leadership has made significant changes in its ranks, removing Gingee K S Masthan alias Senji Masthan, the Minister of Minority Welfare from his party position as secretary of Villupuram North District. Dr. Sekar, formerly the President of the North District Assembly, has been appointed as the new district in-charge.

While there are speculations regarding the parliamentary election activities, it’s reported that the decision to relieve Masthan of his duties isn’t solely linked to the election preparations for Vikravandi. Party insiders suggest it was a predetermined move to oust Masthan from his role. Allegations against Masthan and his family’s political influence seem to be the underlying cause of his removal.

Last September, 13 councilors tendered their resignations, citing concerns about the control exerted by Masthan’s family over local governance. Complaints highlighted the non-functional leadership of Nirmala, the Tindivanam municipal council president, and the perceived dominance of Rizwan, Masthan’s brother-in-law, in municipal affairs.

Subsequent actions saw Rizwan being removed from his position as Deputy Organizer of the Villupuram North District Sports Development Team, along with Masthan’s son, Mukhtiyar Ali Masthan, being relieved of his duties as coordinator of the Villupuram North District IT Team. Masthan’s brother, Kaja Nazir, also faced removal from his position as the secretary of the Gingee Railway Corporation due to allegations of involvement in wood smuggling. The situation escalated when a photo of Masthan Marur, the minister’s relative, feeding cake to Marur Raja, who was arrested under the Goondas act, went viral. Political opponents, including BJP state president Annamalai, used this incident to demand Masthan’s removal from office.

Complaints regarding Masthan’s family members holding key party positions and associating with questionable individuals were brought to the attention of DMK leadership. As a result, Nazir was stripped of his post. The dominance of Masthan’s family over Villupuram North District has been a recurring concern, with complaints regularly reaching party leadership. Despite these complaints, Masthan’s removal from office was reportedly delayed to avoid any negative impact on the elections.

The decision to remove Masthan from his party position comes ahead of the by-elections in Vikravandi, scheduled after the demise of MLA Pugazhenthi. Anniyur Siva, secretary of DMK’s agricultural labourers’ wing has been named as the candidate for the constituency. Additionally, Gautham Sigamani, son of Minister Ponmudi, has been appointed as the in-charge for the southern district. Speculations abound regarding the timing of Masthan’s removal, with some suggesting it was orchestrated to facilitate his involvement in election work in the Vikravandi constituency. However, insiders claim that the decision was premeditated and awaited the right opportunity to be executed.

Minister SM Nasar, already a member of the Muslim community, has been removed from his position replaced with TRB Rajaa, son of TR Baalu. Additionally, Palayamkottai MLA Abdul Wahab faced the same fate. This trend of stripping individuals of their posts now extends to Senji Masthan, whose family holds significant influence in the Villupuram North area.

(with inputs from Puthiyathalaimurai)

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