AIADMK sources said there had been discontent among workers for quite sometime | Photo Credit: V. Ganesan more-in Around a week ago, more than 100 workers from the AIADMK in Vadavalli joined the DMK. On January 15, nearly 75 AIADMK sympathisers joined the DMK in the presence of former Minister Pongalur Palanisamy. AIADMK sources said there had been discontent among workers for quite sometime and that the local leadership did not address the issues and talk to the workers. Those who had left the party to join DMK had been members since MGR’s days and they felt slighted. R. Muthukumar of Bommanampalayam, near Vadavalli, said that the state of affairs in Vadavalli were bad for quite sometime and had turned for the worse after the death of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The new breed of youth leaders who wield influence in Vadavalli had sidelined seniors. Party sources said there was a fear of another massive migration towards the DMK when M.K. Stalin had been scheduled to visit the city in another 10 days. And they were worried about it because it was in and around Vadavalli the party fared poorly vis-a-vis the DMK in the 2016 May Assembly elections. The DMK had polled 8,479 votes - 292 more than the AIADMK. Plus, it was here that the AIADMK had planned to field its mayoral candidate in the now-called off local body polls. A senior AIADMK leader, who did not want to be named, said that if the workers had grievances they should have taken it up with the zonal secretary or urban district secretary P.R.G. Arunkumar, who is also the Coimbatore North MLA. To quit the party citing flimsy reasons was unacceptable. Mr. Arunkumar said that it was wrong to say that cadre were leaving the party. In fact, persons from other parties were now supporting AIADMK and there was nothing to worry.

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