PMK General Council reaffirms Ramadoss as party President, sets agenda for 2026 TN Assembly polls

Chennai, Aug 17 (IANS) The special General Council of Tamil Nadu's Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), convened by its founder Dr. S. Ramadoss at Pattanur on Sunday, resolved that he would continue to lead the party as President.

A resolution passed at the meeting stated that Dr Ramadoss had formally assumed charge as president on May 30, 2025, following an amendment to the party’s bylaws and subsequent approval by both the administrative and executive committees.

The decision, the council noted, was aimed at consolidating the organisation and steering it towards success in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Another key resolution empowered Dr Ramadoss to decide on the party’s electoral alliances for the forthcoming polls. The council underscored that a clear and strong alliance strategy would be crucial for PMK’s electoral prospects.

The meeting also sent a strong message on community welfare. It warned of protests if the Tamil Nadu government failed to announce the 10.5 per cent internal reservation for Vanniyars.

Additionally, the council demanded that the state immediately conduct a caste-wise census, pointing out that several other states had already implemented such surveys.

"There should be no further delay," the resolution stated.

The PMK also used the occasion to articulate a broader social and developmental agenda. It called for the implementation of total prohibition in Tamil Nadu, linking the rise in heinous crimes such as rape and murder to unchecked liquor consumption.

The council further demanded a ban on ganja and other narcotic substances.

On infrastructure and water management, the party sought the construction of check dams across the Cauvery and other rivers to prevent wastage of water into the sea and pressed for the long-pending interlinking of the Cauvery-Godavari rivers.

The council passed several additional resolutions, including the reinstatement of the old pension scheme for government employees, implementation of the Nandan canal system, retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, regularisation of contract workers at NLC India Ltd, and grant of full statehood to the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The resolutions, taken together, signalled the party’s intent to position itself not only as a defender of Vanniyar rights but also as a force advocating wider social reforms and state development.

--IANS

aal/vd