DMK general council meeting underway

Chennai, Feb 3 (PTI) The crucial DMK General Councilmeeting, which is expected to discuss key issues, includingstrategy for the coming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, began herethis morning against the backdrop of the arrest of formerTelecom Minister A Raja.

Party bigwigs, including Karunanidhi''s children UnionFertiliser Minister M K Alagiri and Deputy Chief Minister M KStalin, daughter Kanimozhi, MP, and party General Secretary KAnbazhagan are attending the meeting, presided over by the DMKpatriarch.

The general council is likely to finalise the DMK''selectoral strategy, especially in the wake of criticism beingfaced by it over Raja''s role in the 2G spectrum allocationscam and his subsequent arrest by CBI.

Launching a major offensive against the DMK, AIADMKchief Jayalalithaa has already made the 2G corruption issue amajor poll plank of the party.

The DMK, which has already firmed up its alliance withCongress for the elections, due in May, will also discuss itsrelationship with that party and tie-ups with some otherparties, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.

On the day of Raja''s arrest, DMK remained tight-lippedon the issue, but Karunanidhi has gone on record that hisparty would not hesitate to take action against him if he wasfound guilty in the scam.

The party would also discuss tie up with PMK, an issuewhich went into uncertainty after different signals emanatedfrom both parties.

Karunanidhi has ruled out the possibility of PMK''sinclusion after its founder S Ramadoss had said his party wasyet to decide on the alliance issue and its General Councilwould meet this month to take a call on it.

However, backtracking from his stand, Ramadossyesterday said, "I did not say we are not in the DMK alliance.

We will not bely Karunanidhi''s hopes (on the alliance issue)."

DMK has already constituted a five-member committee tonegotiate seat-sharing arrangements with its allies.