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        Amid unabated accusations and counter allegations, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) appears heading for a final showdown of strength.

        The general council meeting convened by the rebel leaders of the party at Salem tomorrow is likely to bring a decisive turn to the debate of 'true strength among party functionaries' and also determine the future of the rebel leaders and Vaiko.

        Meanwhile, informed sources today said MDMK district secretaries would this evening hold a special district level workers meet, throughout the State.

        A special resolution is likely to passed at the end of the session 'reinforcing their faith' in the party general secretary Vaiko. The general council members besides other party functionaries participating in the meet at the district level have also been asked to sign the special signature campaign to reiterate their acceptance of the leadership of Vaiko in spearheading the party.

        At the other side of the camp, informed sources added that the rebel camp is keen on 'winning over' as many general council members as possible.

        The stand of the dissident leaders that the party under Vaiko deviated from its core Dravidian ideology and that the stand of the party on issues like alliance with the AIADMK should have been 'in keeping with the ideology of the party' seems to have failed to break ice with many general council members.

        'Alliances are struck not on the basis of ideology, but on the prospects of winnability and strength at the local level,' a senior leader close to the MDMK chief said
and added that the 'argument is without logic and reason'.

        Meanwhile, Velachery Manimaran, a senior leader of the party and south Chennai district secretary said the 'claims of L Ganesan and Senji Ramachandran on numbers as a figment of imagination,' and added that all growing political parties in the State should be cautious about the 'sinister designs' of some 'dominating forces' (Aadhikka sakthigal) to undemocratically face the challenge of rival parties.

        Jeevan, north Chennai district secretary of the MDMK also countered the claims of the dissident duo.

        'These leaders even do not know the exact number of general council members,' Jeevan said stressed that the claims of Senji Ramachandran that they have the support of 600 general council members as 'utter falsehood'.

        Sources in the rebel camp however said the tommorow's meeting would be a success and chart a new path for a revitalised MDMK.
 

Vaiko to petition CBI?         In a new twist to the ongoing feud within the MDMK, sources in the party today said the party general secretary Vaiko is seriously 'contemplating' meeting the chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and appeal for an impartial probe into the 'role of money in splitting the party,'.         Sources added that a draft petition was already prepared which details the 'origin, source and network of the money channel and how it influenced the two bigwigs of the party.'          It is said that the draft is being scrutinised by Vaiko besides the legal wing of the party.          If at all the MDMK leader manages to do it, he would be setting a new precedent in the history of independent India as petitioning the CBI directly for a probe was unheard of.          Moreover, a probe by the internal intelligence agency is possible only on the directions of the Central government or on the recommendation of a State government or a court of law, it is said.