Major political announcement expected in PMK meet in TN

The PMK, the powerful political force of the Vanniyar community with a strong base in Northern Tamil Nadu, is holding its state office-bearers meeting on Saturday (October 16) at Chennai where some important decisions are expected to be taken.

The PMK, which is an ally of the NDA in Tamil Nadu had contested in the recent rural local body polls on its own. The PMK leaders had said that they were contesting independently of the AIADMK and BJP as there was no time for proper discussion regarding sharing of seats and that there need not be much to read on this.

The DMK government after it assumed office brought out a government order (G.O) providing 10.5 per cent reservation among the Most Backward Caste (MBC) for the Vanniyar community in education and jobs. The previous AIADMK government had brought legislation providing 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars just before the model code of conduct was to be announced for the 2021 Assembly elections.

The PMK has been voicing its support to the DMK government in several open forums and its founder Dr S. Ramadoss and son and youth wing leader and former Union Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss had in several instances supported certain measures taken by the DMK government.

The PMK is also sore of the fact that in the recent cabinet expansion at the Centre, Anbumani Ramadoss was not included even though he is a Rajya Sabha MP amd was a former Union Minister for Health and Family welfare in the NDA government of Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The PMK leadership has, however, denied that there would be a shift in alliance from the NDA and that the state leaders' meet was only a routine exercise to evolve methods to strengthen the party in the state.

Responding to reports that the party president and MLA, G.K. Mani, who has held the position since 1998 would be replaced, party sources told IANS that there are no such moves regarding this - IANS