DMK convenes general council meet; to discuss LS polls also

Chennai, Jan 9: Key UPA ally DMK has convened its general council meeting on February 3 to discuss among other issues the Parliamentary elections due in 2014, indicating it wanted to prepare itself for the big event.

The inclusion of Parliamentary Polls in the agenda for the DMK's key decision-making body assumes significance in the backdrop of ruling AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on December 30 putting her partymen on the poll mode asking them to prepare for the next Lok Sabha polls, predicting a bigger role for her party at the national level.

The agenda for the general council, which will be chaired by party chief M Karunanidhi, also includes "reports of the CAG", membership drive and certain amendments to the party rules, DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement today.

The general council, along with the executive, had met in Coimbatore last July, in the backdrop of its dismal show in the April 13 assembly polls and arrest of Karunanidhi's daughter and party MP, Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum scam.

The February meeting comes at a time when the ties between Congress and DMK are not so good with the regional party showing no hurry in filling up of its vacant slots in the Union Cabinet caused by the resignation of A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran, both facing the heat on Telecom issue.

The DMK had the dumped Congress in the October last local body elections and contested them alone, saying alliances were meant only for assembly and Parliament elections. There were also speculation that Kanimozhi, now out on bail in the 2G scam, could be given a key post in the party.

PTI