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NT Bureau
Chennai, Dec 24:

        All eyes are now on the meeting convened by MDMK general secretary Vaiko to take stock of the political situation in the State tomorrow. The MDMK leader reached Chennai today after completing his padayathra.

        The MDMK is heading towards a vertical split with Vaiko removing two senior leaders, L Ganesan and Gingee N Ramachandran, both MPs, from the posts of party presidium chairman and deputy general secretary respectively with immediate effect.

        However, both leaders have challenged Vaiko's authority in removing them from their posts. An emergency meeting of the MDMK district secretaries, summoned by Vaiko at Cumbum in Theni district, in the midst of his padayatra to Mullaiperiyar dam, yesterday recommended that the leaders be removed from their posts for 'anti-party activities'.

        Supporters of Vaiko in Theni and other southern districts celebrated the action against Ramachandran and Ganesan by distributing sweets and bursting crackers. They pasted posters describing them as 'black sheep' and 'betrayers'.

        Meanwhile, the dissident leaders Ganesan and Gingee N Ramachandran announced that they would hold an 'urgent general council meeting' of the party at Salem on 29 December.

        The meeting of the general council, the party's top policy making body, would be presided over by Ganesan, Ramachandran said.

        The MDMK has four members in the Lok Sabha. Two other members, C Krishnan and V Ravichandran have cast their lot with Vaiko, causing a vertical split.

        Reacting to the removal, Gingee Ramachandran said that only the MDMK general council could decide on their removal as they were elected by the council. 'Vaiko has no powers to remove us,' he said.

        Both the dissident leaders are contemplating on taking legal action against their removal from their party.

        The meeting tomorrow would be very crucial. It looks likely that Era Chezhiyan, a long-time sympathiser of Vaiko, would be appointed the presidium chairman in place of Ganesan at the meeting.

        Early this morning, Vaiko, who completed his padayatar, garlanded the statue of Periyar. He reached Chennai by flight and was welcomed by MDMK cadres who thronged the airport in large numbers.