<p class="title">The DMK has convened an urgent meeting of its executive council, the top decision-making body, on Tuesday to condole the death of its president M Karunanidhi and fix a date for convening the general council to choose his successor.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The "urgent meeting", which will be held at 10 am on August 14 at the Kalaignar Arangam in party headquarters Anna Arivalayam here, would in all probability pass two resolutions — paying rich tributes to its first and longest-serving president Karunanidhi recalling his contributions and fixing the date for convening the general council.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The meeting will be held exactly a week after Karunanidhi passed away on August 7.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though the announcement by party general secretary K Anbhazhagan mentions that the only agenda is to recall contributions of Karunanidhi and pass a resolution, sources said the meeting could see a virtual declaration of Stalin as Karunanidhi's successor in the DMK.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After the resolution on Karunanidhi is passed, senior leaders are expected to make fervent pleas to the top brass to anoint Stalin as the new president of DMK.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even if the executive committee takes a decision on Stalin's elevation, the general council will have to ratify it, a senior leader said, quoting the DMK party constitution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Stalin as working president wields the power of DMK president, sources said, the party constitution mandates that a successor be elected within one month of the passing away of the chief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Despite opposition from within his family, Karunanidhi had announced Stalin as his political heir and had groomed him for succeeding him as the party president.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The executive council has been convened only to condole Thalaivar's (Karunanidhi's) death," Stalin told reporters after meeting Anbhazhagan, who convened the urgent meeting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The general council, which was scheduled to be held on August 19 and was later re-scheduled due to Karunanidhi's hospitalisation in July, is likely to be held in the first week of September.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After taking over as DMK president, Stalin is likely to have a new team — but Anbhazhagan will continue to be general secretary — and will shed the treasurer post which he is holding since 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His half-sister Kanimozhi, party propaganda secretary and former Union minister A Raja and a few young faces are likely to be given prominence in the DMK, sources said.</p>
<p class="title">The DMK has convened an urgent meeting of its executive council, the top decision-making body, on Tuesday to condole the death of its president M Karunanidhi and fix a date for convening the general council to choose his successor.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The "urgent meeting", which will be held at 10 am on August 14 at the Kalaignar Arangam in party headquarters Anna Arivalayam here, would in all probability pass two resolutions — paying rich tributes to its first and longest-serving president Karunanidhi recalling his contributions and fixing the date for convening the general council.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The meeting will be held exactly a week after Karunanidhi passed away on August 7.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though the announcement by party general secretary K Anbhazhagan mentions that the only agenda is to recall contributions of Karunanidhi and pass a resolution, sources said the meeting could see a virtual declaration of Stalin as Karunanidhi's successor in the DMK.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After the resolution on Karunanidhi is passed, senior leaders are expected to make fervent pleas to the top brass to anoint Stalin as the new president of DMK.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even if the executive committee takes a decision on Stalin's elevation, the general council will have to ratify it, a senior leader said, quoting the DMK party constitution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Stalin as working president wields the power of DMK president, sources said, the party constitution mandates that a successor be elected within one month of the passing away of the chief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Despite opposition from within his family, Karunanidhi had announced Stalin as his political heir and had groomed him for succeeding him as the party president.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The executive council has been convened only to condole Thalaivar's (Karunanidhi's) death," Stalin told reporters after meeting Anbhazhagan, who convened the urgent meeting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The general council, which was scheduled to be held on August 19 and was later re-scheduled due to Karunanidhi's hospitalisation in July, is likely to be held in the first week of September.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After taking over as DMK president, Stalin is likely to have a new team — but Anbhazhagan will continue to be general secretary — and will shed the treasurer post which he is holding since 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His half-sister Kanimozhi, party propaganda secretary and former Union minister A Raja and a few young faces are likely to be given prominence in the DMK, sources said.</p>
