The DMK will not seek replacements for the Cabinet positions vacated by A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran following the spectrum charges while maintaining status quo in its relations with the Congress and the UPA ruling at the Centre, according to party president M. Karunanidhi.
Speaking to reporters at the end of the party’s two-day executive/general council meet here on Sunday, he said, “We do not have any grudge against the Congress party but some Congressmen in the state are making unsavoury comments deeply hurting our cadre. Hence, our decision to leave the vacancies unfilled.”
On the much-hyped succession issue, the DMK chief said the party “cannot change its leadership to suit the media headlines”. His party was governed by a constitution and held organisational elections periodically, he argued.
The general council had earlier in the day passed a resolution reaffirming the party’s faith in his leadership even amid vociferous demands from the loyalists of son M.K. Stalin that he be elevated.
“The Dravidian movement continues to be led by Kalaignar”, said the resolution in a weak attempt to cap the open battle between brothers — Mr Stalin and Mr Alagiri — over the succession issue.
In fact, Mr Alagiri boycotted the closing session, perhaps peeved at the loud assertions from Mr Stalin’s followers that their thalapathi should be given more responsibilities to lead the DMK’s revival from the recent poll debacle. Mr Karunanidhi seemed upset with the pro-Stalin demands and even offered to step down “if that will help the party”.
Also the general council, meanwhile, passed 25 resolutions, including setting up a seven-member advisory committee under the presidentship of T.K.S. Elangovan, MP, to deliberate on streamlining and restructuring the party.
Other members of the committee include Pon Muthuramalingam, G.M. Shah, K. Pichandi, Mohammed Sahi, V.P. Rajan and Baskar Sundaram. The panel after discussing the views expressed by cadres would submit its recommendations before the next general council meet.
The meet took strong objection to the partiality attitude of CBI in preventing Kanimozhi coming out on bail. It also suspected that the CBI is working with ulterior motive.
The general council cited the top court judge O.P. Saini’s questioning the CBI whether their intention was to detain the accused persons in jail.