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The AIADMK on Thursday requested the Union government to declare their late leader J Jayalalithaa's birthday – 24 Februrary – as the National Farmers' Day and award her with Bharat Ratna posthumously.
The party also resolved to whatever was necessary so that Jayalalithaa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the Ramon Magsaysay award for implementing various welfare schemes.
The party passed a resolution to this effect at the general council meeting held in Chennai.
According to the resolution, Jayalalithaa had always called herself as a farmer and has implemented several welfare schemes for the farmers as the state Chief Minister.
Sasikala accepts the fifth resolution, appointing her interim General Secretary of the party. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam hands a copy of the resolution to her.
Party cadres and Sasikala’s supporters, waiting outside the party office, cheer and raise victory signs. "Chinnamma is the future. She can keep the party together and lead," they proclaim.
The party adopts the fifth resolution and appoints Sasikala Natarajan as the party’s interim General Secretary.
The 14th resolution has also been adopted that says Sasikala will lead the party.
Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam and party leaders Thambidurai and Edappadi head to Poes Garden to handover the resolution to Sasikala, who did not attend the meeting.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has arrived. The General Council meeting has begun.
It is unlikely that she will attend the meeting. Though Sasikala is a member of the party's Executive Committee, sources in the AIADMK said that it is unlikely that she will attend the meeting.
She has been advised not to go for the party meeting till the party passes a resolution declaring her as the General Secretary.
(Source: The News Minute)
Amid demands for appointing late Jayalalithaa's confidante Sasikala as the general secretary, senior party leader C Ponnaiyan, said there are no indications of any contest to the top post.
Under normal circumstances, nominations would have been invited for elections for the General Secretary post. However, with no scope of an election, the meeting is likely to end with a unanimous resolution endorsed by primary members of all party units.
The AIADMK meets for a crucial General Council meeting today to pick the party’s new General Secretary.
Last night, AIADMK cadres attacked and injured the husband of expelled MP Sasikala Pushpa. He was accused of trying to create a law and order problem ahead of the General Council meeting to elect a new General Secretary.
While initial reports suggested that the attacked man was Pushpa's lawyer, police later clarified he was her husband Lingeswara Thilagan.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: 29 Dec 2016,10:04 AM IST