▁of ▁Chen na i ▁and ▁former ▁Deput y ▁Chief ▁minister ▁of ▁T amil ▁N adu , ▁for ▁succeed ing ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁D rav ida ▁Mun net ra ▁Kaz h ag am ▁( DM K ) ▁Az h ag iri ▁shift ed ▁his ▁base ▁to ▁Mad ur ai ▁during ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁hold ▁any ▁post ▁officially ▁in ▁the ▁party . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁holding ▁no ▁posts , ▁he ▁was ▁all ▁in ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁Mad ur ai ▁region ▁and ▁senior ▁leaders ▁in ▁the ▁party ▁were ▁unh appy ▁about ▁the ▁fa ction al ism ▁created ▁within ▁the ▁party . ▁The ▁DM K ▁general ▁secretary , ▁K ▁An baz h agan , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁directed ▁the ▁party ▁men ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁contact ▁with ▁Az h ag iri . ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Az h ag iri ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁party ▁winning ▁three ▁by - e lections , ▁the ▁notable ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁Th ir um ang al am , ▁where ▁the ▁party ▁won ▁with ▁a ▁massive ▁difference . ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁victory , ▁Az h ag iri ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁organ izing ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁for ▁southern ▁districts . ▁Following ▁the ▁by - p oll ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁Az h ag iri ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁ticket ▁for ▁Mad ur ai ▁Lok ▁Sab ha ▁Const itu ency ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁general ▁elections , ▁which ▁he ▁won ▁eventually ▁and