The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it would hold its 10th party conference in Tiruchy in February 2014, months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. While the conference has to be held once every five years according to the party’s constitution, the event is sure to be a major fixture in the party’s run up to the elections.
According to the announcement from Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, the party flag would be hoisted at the conference by party patriarch M Karunanidhi and the conference itself would be inaugurated by general secretary K Anbazhagan.
Party heir apparent MK Stalin would serve as the treasurer to the conference, while former minister and Tiruchy district secretary KN Nehru would serve as chairman of the welcoming committee. The conference is scheduled to be held on February 15 and 16.
“The timing of the conference is opportune. It gives us the opportunity to announce the party’s direction for the next five years. Most important, however, will be the opportunity to inspire the rank and file of the party for the Lok Sabha elections, which are bound to be around the corner,” said a senior party functionary.
Party sources, however, refused to confirm or speculate if the DMK’s allies would share the stage at the conference. “That depends on who our allies are. The decision on this would be taken at a later date,” said the senior functionary.
He added that the decision would rest upon the political situation at that time.
The DMK presently has only two confirmed allies in the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslin League.
There is still uncertainty over the allegiance of smaller parties like the Puthiya Thamizhagam and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, which had been allies of the AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly elections, but had supported the candidature of Karunanidhi’s daughter K Kanimozhi in the recent Rajya Sabha election.