Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin on Sunday filed his nomination for the party president’s post two days before before the general council scheduled meet on Tuesday. DMK’s principal secretary Duraimurugan filed nomination for the party treasurer’s post.
Last week, DMK’s general secretary had said that the party general council will be held on 28 August at Anna Arivalayam (party’s headquarters) to elect the ‘president and treasurer.’ While the nominations were filed on Sunday, the scrutiny will be held on Monday before the elections, the party said.
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While 65 district secretaries of the DMK proposed Stalin as president, senior leader A. Raja said that Stalin and Duraimurugan will be ‘elected unanimously.’
Earlier in the day, Stalin paid his respects at the memorials of DMK founder C.N. Annadurai and Karunanidhi before heading to the party headquarters to file his nomination.
The executive committee of the DMK met on 14 August to condole the death of party chief M. Karunanidhi and pledged to support Stalin. Duraimurugan had announced that “Stalin will soon lead us as the president of DMK”.
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DMK party bylaws state that ‘the members of the general council shall elect the president, the general secretary and the treasurer.’ ‘The elected president will nominate three deputy general secretaries, of which one shall be SC/ST and one shall be a woman and one from the general pool. The members of the general council shall also elect four members to the audit committee,’ it adds. Karunanidhi had promoted Stalin as the DMK working president in January 2017 as his deteriorating health did not allow him to preside over party affairs.
On Saturday, Stalin’s elder brother, M.K. Alagiri said that the DMK will face threat after his ‘rally in Chennai on 5 September’. ‘I have never desired for any post in the party, even when thalaivar (leader) was alive. Why would I seek a post, now? (I have) never aspired to become the DMK president; Stalin is in haste to claim the post.’
Earlier, Alagiri had claimed that he had the support of the ‘true loyalist cadres.’ In January 2014, Karunanidhi had expelled Alagiri for ‘anti-party activities.’
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