As part of the state-wide rejig the AIADMK has divided Kanyakumari district – the only district in the state where the ruling party does not have a single MLA – into two party districts as Kanyakumari East and Kanyakumari West. The party has removed sitting Rajya Sabha MP A Vijayakumar from the post of district secretary and appointed two new district secretaries for the newly formed districts.
In the rejig, three assembly segments (Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Colachel) have been clubbed under Kanyakumari East District and the remaining three other assembly segments (Padmanabhapuram, Vilavancode and Killiyur) under Kanyakumari West District. AIADMK key leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami announced these changed in their official communication in the party letterhead dated July 31.
The announcement also stated S A Ashokan the district MGR Youth Wing secretary as the east district secretary and D John Thangam as the west district secretary. The party has stated that other district level functionaries for the bifurcated districts would soon be announced and asked the cadres and functionaries to extend cooperation to the newly appointed secretaries.
Party sources said that Vijayakumar was replaced as he has not taken efforts to strengthen the party and that there was contempt among party cadres and functionaries over the same.