Senior leader Tamil Magan Hussain was on Wednesday appointed as the Interim Presidium Chairman of the AIADMK, succeeding E Madhusudhanan who passed away in July due to Covid-19 complications.
The appointment of Hussain comes as the AIADMK makes a concerted effort to reach out to minority communities that are upset at its alliance with the BJP. Hussain’s appointed was announced by party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami at the Executive Committee meeting.
Hussain, secretary of MGR Mandram, a frontal organisation of the AIADMK, is a senior leader of the party and has been demanding a post for himself for the past few years. His appointment comes a day after the AIADMK expelled Anwhar Rajaah, the party’s Muslim face, for speaking against the dual leadership and supporting V K Sasikala’s re-entry into the party.
Presidium Chairman is considered a very crucial post in the AIADMK. The post assumed significance after Madhusudhanan had in 2017 moved against Sasikala before the Election Commission seeking the party’s 'Two Leaves' symbol to the faction led by O Panneerselvam.
Madhusudhanan, one of the founding members of the party and a die-hard fan of the party's founder and legendary actor M G Ramachandran, served as the presidium chairman of the AIADMK for over 15 years.
By appointing Hussain, political observers said, the AIADMK is reaching out to Muslims who appeared to have weaned away from supporting the party due to its alliance with the BJP.
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