Tension at AIADMK offices in Karur, Pudukottai

Trichy: Tension prevailed for a while in AIADMK party offices in Pudukottai and Karur districts on Thursday after the new district secretaries appointed by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami attempted to enter them. As supporters of sacked district secretaries and former ministers M R Vijayabhaskar in Karur and C Vijayabaskar in Pudukottai opposed entry of the new appointees, police intervened and brought the offices under their control.In the ongoing factional feud within AIADMK, with a section of MLAs backing the rebel team led by former minister S P Velumani and C V Shanmugam, the party's general secretary sacked 26 district secretaries, including in Karur, Trichy, Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts. In Pudukottai North, V Palanivel (north district's MGR youth wing secretary) replaced former minister C Vijayabaskar, Viralimalai MLA, as district secretary. In Karur, former minister M R Vijayabhaskar was replaced by K Kamalakannan (Karur West union secretary). On Thursday, Kamalakannan paid floral tributes to AIADMK's late leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa and reached the party office. But as the gates were locked, his supporters broke open the locks and entered the office. On information, supporters of Vijayabhaskar reached the party office and confronted them. Subsequently, Karur police rushed to the spot and pacified both factions. Similarly, in Pudukottai, the party office located at Ashok Nagar seemed tense, with both Vijayabaskar's and new district secretary Palanivel's supporters assembling in large numbers to take control of the party office. Pudukottai police isolated the area and barricaded the party office. They also made traffic diversions to prevent untoward incidents. Police protection was provided at both party offices.