Chennai: The DMK's general council in Chennai last week dubbed the AIADMK government as "anti-people" and vowed to dislodge it from power and make party president MK Stalin as Chief Minister by winning the Assembly elections next year. The party unanimously elected veteran Duraimurugan as general secretary and senior leader TR Baalu as treasurer. Former telecom minister A Raja and seasoned party leader K Ponmudi were elected as deputy general secretaries.
Alleging that the AIADMK regime was tainted by corruption, the party, in its meet presided by Stalin, condemned the Centre for ''guarding'' such a regime for the past about four years. The AIADMK is in power in Tamil Nadu since 2011 and following the death of late J Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, K Palaniswami became Chief Minister on February 16, 2017.
Accusing the state government of failure in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, the DMK, in a resolution alleged irregularities in issuance of e-pass, tenders, and in several areas, including procurement of test kits. "This general council condemns the AIADMK government for causing an overall setback to the socio-economic and industrial growth in Tamil Nadu... for corruption in tenders of all departments," a resolution said, adding that those behind the "coronavirus pandemic corruption" would be made to answer.
Another resolution alleged that the AIADMK government was an embodiment of corruption and extravagance that pushed the people into an unending cycle of hassles. The government is "anti-people," marked by administrative failure and functioned for only "commission, corruption and collection," the party alleged.
The DMK also targeted its arch rival on a slew of other issues, including the state government''s "inability" to get exemption for Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test, and for trying to implement the Chennai-Salem expressway, which is against the "interests of farmers."
Hence, "this general council vows to slog to make party president Stalin as Chief Minister to take Tamil Nadu on the pathway of growth again by trouncing the anti-people and anti-democratic AIADMK in the 2021 Assembly elections," a resolution said. Duraimurugan has held several posts in the DMK, including that of principal secretary and deputy general secretary and he is a former state inister and nine time MLA. The 82-year-old Duraimurugan, an advocate by profession, resigned from the post of treasurer in March to enable him to contest for the post of general secretary.
The post had fallen vacant following the demise of top leader K Anbazhagan in March, who held that post for over four decades. DMK's Parliamentary Party leader TR Baalu and the party's Villupuram district strongman K Ponmudi have held several positions in the party organisation.
A Raja has also held positions, including that of district secretary and has been the DMK's propaganda secretary since 2009. The party general council was originally slated to be held on March 29 but it was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
