DMK sounds poll bugle, authorises Karuna to decide on allies

Sounding the bugle for the Lok Sabha elections, a meeting of DMK's District Secretaries today unanimously authorised party President M Karunanidhi and General Secretary K Anbazhagan to decide on the allies for the polls due next year.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the meeting, billed as a preparatory exercise for the elections, crucial for the DMK which was ousted from power by the AIADMK in the 2011 assembly polls.

DMK had contested the previous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in alliance with the Congress but exited the UPA in March this year over Sri Lankan Tamils issue, snapping their nine-year old ties.

"The district secretaries spoke on how the party should approach the Lok Sabha polls," said another resolution passed at the meeting in which DMK South Zone Organising Secretary and Karunanidhi's elder son M K Alagiri was conspicuous by his absence.

Besides the 35 district secretaries, the meeting chaired by Karunanidhi was attended by party Treasurer and his younger son M K Stalin, daughter Kanimozhi, MP, and other MPs T K S Elangovan T R Baalu and A Raja.

Setting the stage for a fierce electoral battle in the state, which sends 39 members to Lok Sabha, the meeting identified a range of issues to target the AIADMK Government and asked its cadres to take forward "people's problems" by organising protests in their respective areas.

It accused the Jayalalithaa Government of non-cooperation in implementing several development projects such as the Rs 1,815 crore Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway which were initiated during the previous DMK regime.

On the issue of state fishermen being attacked allegedly by Sri Lankan Navy, it criticised Chief Minister Jayalalilthaa saying whenever such incidents occurred, she thought "her duty is done with a letter to the Prime Minister. The State and Central governments should come forward to protect the fishermen at least from now on," a resolution said.

Alleging that the law and order in the state was "deteriorating", the meeting also flayed the government for "illegally proscribing democratic activities."

It urged the government to lift prohibitive orders in force under section 144 of CrPc in Villupuram District.

Accusing the AIADMK of going back on its "commitment" in 2001 and 2004 poll manifestos to implement the controversial Sethusamudram project, the DMK urged the Centre to execute it.