DMK vows to dislodge AIADMK from power, make Stalin CM

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's general council in Chennai on Wednesday dubbed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government as 'anti-people' and vowed to dislodge it from power and make party president M K Stalin as Chief Minister by winning the Assembly elections next year.

The party unanimously elected veteran Duraimurugan as general secretary and senior leader T R 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.

Assembly elections are due in April-May 2021 and the present 15th Assembly was constituted on May 21, 2016.

Stalin, in his address at the party headquarters in Chennai, appealed to office-bearers to refresh people's memory that the AIADMK 'has not done anything useful' for the people in the last about 10 years of its rule.

Due to COVID protocol, the 3,500 member strong general council saw the presence of only a small section of members, less than 100, while others joined through a virtual link.

"Only we are going to win whenever the elections are held. But they (AIADMK) will not allow us to emerge victorious so easily. We have to work hard for victory," he said.

"You should have only one goal and that is the return of DMK rule, Kalaignar's (late patriarch M Karunanidhi) regime," he said and reminded functionaries that only about six months was left for the elections.

The DMK chief, who is the leader of opposition in the Assembly, accused the AIADMK government of all round failure and corruption.

"The debt burden of Tamil Nadu is 4.45 lakh crore. This is their achievement. We have to immediately start work to send this regime home," he said.

The party's coronavirus relief work 'Ondrinaivom Va', (Let us come together) has no parallel anywhere in the world, he claimed and praised Duraimurugan and others for their hard work for decades, which led to their growth in the party.

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 M K 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 Minister and nine time MLA.

The 82-year-old Duraimurugan resigned from the post of treasurer in March to enable him 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 T R 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.