DMK postpones general council meet over coronavirus scare

The main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Monday night postponed its general council meeting amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The party had announced that its general council would meet on March 29 to elect a successor to general secretary K Anbazhagan, who passed away recently.

Anbazhagan (97), a close confidant of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, died on March 7 following a brief illness. He had been the party's general secretary for 43 years.

Meanwhile, senior DMK leader Durai Murugan quit as treasurer of the party to contest for the post of the general secretary.

Party president M K Stalin said on Monday that Murugan had informed him through a letter his willingness to contest for the general secretary's post.

The general council would therefore elect both the general secretary and the treasurer, he said.

However, in a statement issued late night, Stalin said the general council meet has been postponed following the government's direction to all educational institutions, cinema halls and other places where people gather in large numbers to remain closed till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Based on the government's decision, the general council meet has been postponed and new dates will be announced later," Stalin said in the statement.

He also appealed to cadres not to hold party functions till March 31.