AIADMK General Council to elect Presidium Chairman tomorrow

Chennai, Feb 4 (UNI) The opposition AIADMK's General Council, a top policy-making body of the party, meets here tomorrow for the first time after the party suffered a drubbing in last year's Assembly and local bodies elections.

The meeting will elect a new Presidium Chairman for the party as the post has fallen vacant following the death of incumbent and former Assembly Speaker K Kalimuthu in November last.

The names of senior leaders O Panneerselvam, Sulochana Sampath, Visalakshmi Nedunchezhiyan, Durai Govindarajan and Mani Mozhiyan were doing rounds for the post, party sources said.

The meeting was likely to take stock of the political situation in the country with a particular reference to Tamil Nadu, the sources added.

The party would also adopt resolutions, criticising the DMK Government's ''lackadaisical'' approach on several issues, including the row with Kerala on Mullaperiyar dam, the Palar issue, price rise and implementation of Value Added Tax(VAT).

Resolutions would also be adopted demanding the resignation of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin and removal of State Election Commissioner T Chandrasekaran, Director General of Police D Mukherjee and Chennai Police Commissioner Letika Saran in the wake of Madras High Court's split verdict on the alleged violence during Chennai Corporation elections, the sources said.

The General Council and Executive Committee meeting, convened by AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa, is viewed as a major moral boost for party functionaries and cadres, especially after the defeat at the hustings.

Embarking on a district-wise revamping of the party, the AIADMK supremo has shown the door to several functionaries due to poor performance. The Executive Council is expected to ratify the appointment of new office-bearers and functionaries.

The General Council meeting would be preceeded by the party's executive committee meeting.

UNI