MK Stalin files nomination; all set to become DMK president

CHENNAI: MK Stalin is all set to become president of the DMK and senior party leader S Duraimurugan the treasurer as both filed nominations for the posts at the party headquarters on Sunday.

No one else has filed nomination for the posts and formally both will be elected on Tuesday when the party’s general council is set to meet with the agenda to elect new president and treasurer. Nominations are to close today.

Earlier, Stalin and Duraimurugan met former DMK president M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal at the Gopalapuram residence and received her blessings. The two also went to Karunanidhi’s memorial on the Marina and placed their nominations and paid homage.

At the Gopalapuram residence, Stalin’s sister Selvi and other family members wished him and Duraimurugan as they left for the party headquarters.

The nominations were proposed by 65 district secretaries and were accepted by party’s headquarters secretary RS Bharathi.

This is the second time DMK will have a president. Karunanidhi was the first president though CN Annadurai headed the party before. As a principle, Annadurai refused to be president and left a chair vacant in all party meetings for his mentor and DK founder Periyar (EV Ramasamy).

After the death of Annadurai, Karunanidhi became president and held the post till his death earlier this month. He was president of the party for 49 years.

As per the party’s bylaws, when a vacancy arises for the president’s post, a new president must be elected within 60 days and that too the general council has powers to appoint the new president.