The crucial DMK General Council meeting, which is expected to discuss key issues, including strategy for the coming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, began on Thursday morning against the backdrop of the arrest of former Telecom Minister A Raja.
Party bigwigs, including Karunanidhi's children Union Fertiliser Minister M K Alagiri and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, daughter Kanimozhi, MP, and party General Secretary K Anbazhagan are attending the meeting, presided over by the DMK patriarch.
The general council is likely to finalise the DMK's electoral strategy, especially in the wake of criticism being faced by it over Raja's role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam and his subsequent arrest by CBI.
Launching a major offensive against the DMK, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa has already made the 2G corruption issue a major poll plank of the party.
The DMK, which has already firmed up its alliance with Congress for the elections, due in May, will also discuss its relationship with that party and tie-ups with some other parties, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
On the day of Raja's arrest, DMK remained tight-lipped on the issue, but Karunanidhi has gone on record that his party would not hesitate to take action against him if he was found guilty in the scam.
{{/usCountry}}On the day of Raja's arrest, DMK remained tight-lipped on the issue, but Karunanidhi has gone on record that his party would not hesitate to take action against him if he was found guilty in the scam.
{{/usCountry}}The party would also discuss tie up with PMK, an issue which went into uncertainty after different signals emanated from both parties.
Karunanidhi has ruled out the possibility of PMK's inclusion after its founder S Ramadoss had said his party was yet to decide on the alliance issue and its General Council would meet this month to take a call on it.
However, backtracking from his stand, Ramadoss yesterday said, "I did not say we are not in the DMK alliance. We will not bely Karunanidhi's hopes (on the alliance issue)."
DMK has already constituted a five-member committee to negotiate seat-sharing arrangements with its allies.