Keeping an eye on the 2016 Assembly elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is all set to stage a mega show here on May 23 to condemn the “anti-people actions of the government”, in which party treasurer M.K. Stalin will address the gathering.
Fifteen secretaries from southern districts held a meeting here to discuss the preparations and inspected the proposed venue, a 40-acre site near the Tamil Nadu Agricultural College and Research Institute at Othakadai along the Ring Road, on Sunday.
Presiding over the meeting, former Minister I. Periasami said that the DMK high command was being apprised of the problems faced by the common man in the last four years of the AIADMK rule such as hike in bus fare, milk price, electricity problems and corruption in public offices. The public had not benefitted in any aspect and not a single development project like construction of bridges or roads had been witnessed.
The DMK, as an opposition party, had been watching the happenings and raising its objections. Time had come now to give a fitting response to the AIADMK and the people would teach a lesson to the AIADMK’s misrule, he said.
At least five lakh cadres from southern districts were expected to participate in the meeting, he added.
Internally, the meet is being seen as an opportunity to show that Madurai and the south, which were once Alagiri’s bastion, are no longer under his hold.
The functionaries who inspected the proposed venue for May 23 meet included former Ministers Suresh Rajan, Moideen Khan, Thangam Thennarasu, K.K.S.S. R. Ramachandran, Poongothai Aladi Aruna, former Speaker Avudiappan, district secretaries N. Periasami, Chakkrapani, G. Thalapathi, Veluchami, State office-bearers Pon. Muthuramalingam, P. Kulandaivelu and Cumbum Ramakrishnan.
“The DMK as an Opposition party has been watching the happenings and raising its objections”