CHENNAI: The former Union Minister and treasurer of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, M. Kannappan, will head the legislature wing of the party.

Cumbam N. Ramakrishnan has been elected whip and Veera Ilavarasan deputy leader.

Disclosing the election of the MDMK's legislature party functionaries, general secretary Vaiko told presspersons here that the outcome of the May 8 Assembly elections did not mark a big victory for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance. The overall margin between the two rival alliances was only 4.13 per cent.

New situation

A new situation had emerged, with the DMK failing to gain a simple majority on its own, even as the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had become a powerful main Opposition party with 61 MLAs.

Replying to queries, Mr.Vaiko said that the MDMK still continued to be part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa had not objected to it. On the criticism by Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi, against the MDMK allying with the AIADMK even while continuing in the UPA, he said there was nothing wrong in the party's stand, as many constituents of the alliance and the Left parties had adopted different strategies for the States.

He congratulated Ms.Gandhi on her massive win in the Lok Sabha by-election in Rae Bareli.

He also greeted actor-turned politician Vijayakant, whose Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, garnered the votes of people who did not want to vote for the two major alliances.

The MDMK-AIADMK ties would continue for the local body elections too, he said.

A resolution, adopted at a meeting of the district secretaries and members of the high-level committee, the parliamentary board, the political consultation committee and the political research centre of the MDMK, urged the UPA Government to stick to its decision to provide reservation for Other Backward Classes without yielding to pressure from "anti-reservation forces."

Another resolution said India should urge the Sri Lankan Government to immediately stop air strikes in Tamil areas.

Call on Jayalalithaa

Mr. Vaiko, along with the newly elected MLAs of the MDMK, called on Ms. Jayalalithaa at her residence. R. Chinnasamy, lone MLA of the INTUC-Tamil Nadu, also called on her.

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