Film personalities who joined BJP given party posts

Chennai: Actors and film personalities from Tamil Nadu, including former Union minister D Napolean, who had joined the BJP's state unit recently, were on Thursday appointed to various party posts, a move that comes ahead of the Assembly polls in the state scheduled next year.

Napolean was made the party's state vice president while musician Gangai Amaran, brother of veteran composer Ilayaraja, was appointed as Patron of the Art Cell, BJP state president Tamizhisai Sounderrajan said.

Director Kasthuriraja will be State Executive member and vice president of the Art Cell while actor Gayathri Raghuram its secretary, she said in a statement here.

Actor-Producer 'Kutty' Padmini was made the vice president of the party's Campaign Department, she said.

Former AIADMK MP S Malaichamy will head the party's Election Cell, she said, adding that a number of other persons have also been appointed to various posts.

Actor Napolean, a minister in the previous UPA dispensation, had quit DMK and joined BJP in December 2014 in the presence of party President Amit Shah.

Gangai Amaran, a director who has hits under his belt like 'Karagattakaran', and Raghuram had also joined BJP last year.