At DMK meet, Baalu, Kanimozhi chosen for key posts
The announcements were made after DMK president MK Stalin chaired a meeting of winning MPs and senior party leaders at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK party headquarters.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which emerged as the third largest party in the country with 23 winners in the recently announced Lok Sabha election results, has chosen former Union minister Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu (TR Baalu) for the post of DMK parliamentary committee head, and M Kanimozhi as the parliamentary committee deputy leader.
The announcements were made after DMK president MK Stalin chaired a meeting of winning MPs and senior party leaders at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK party headquarters.
“DMK principal secretary TR Baalu will serve as the party parliamentary committee leader,” a DMK statement read.
Baalu, 77, has rich experience as a parliamentarian and also served a Union minister thrice. He was unanimously elected as the DMK parliamentary leader. Baalu defeated A Vaithilingam of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the AIADMK-BJP alliance by a margin of over 500,00 votes.
The DMK won 23 out of the state’s 38 Lok Sabha seats. Polling in one seat, Vellore, was cancelled after the Election Commission found evidence that cash was being used to influence voters.
The daughter of DMK’s late patriarch M Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi was appointed as the deputy leader of the parliamentary committee. Kanimozhi defeated BJP state chief Tamilisai Sounderrarajan in Thoothukkudi .
Former Union telecom minister A Raja was appointed as the party’s LS whip. Raja had faced trials in the 2G spectrum scam case along with Kanimozhi. However, both were acquitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation special court in December 2017.
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Former Union finance minister of state and Thanjavur LS seat MP SS Palanimanickam will function as the treasurer. Since Kanimozhi is a Rajya Sabha MP and her tenure is coming to an end in the upcoming June, Tiruchi Siva will serve as DMK Rajya Sabha Committee leader. TKS Elangovan, will serve as the committee’s deputy leader.
