Mr Surjit Singh Barnala is likely to continue on the gubernatorial post, even as speculation is rife that the octogenarian constitutional head may be replaced.
The term of the Tamil Nadu governor Mr Barnala, who is 86 years old, is set to expire on June 19. He has been on the gubernatorial post for over a decade, ever since he had lost to Simranjit Singh Mann in 1999 Parliamentary elections and had remained governor at Uttrakhand, Andhra Pradesh and now at Tamil Nadu since 2004.
He has been enjoying good ties with the erstwhile DMK regime. His passion for oil colours is noteworthy. After a special request from old friend and former chief minister M. Karun-anidhi Mr Barnala became governor for the second time in 2006.
In 1990 he was appointed as governor when the DMK was in power and Mr Karunanidhi was the chief minister then. A year later, he resigned after he decli-ned to recommend the dissolution of the Assembly. Subsequently the Chnadr-asekhar government dismissed the DMK government.
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DMK not allowed to hold meet
M. Gunasekaran
Chennai
June 19: As if the embarrassment of the election fiasco weren’t enough, the trade fair complex owned by the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), which rece-ived huge financial benefits during the DMK rule, has denied the party permission to hold its general council at the venue next month.
The previous DMK regime spent several crores of rupees to improve infrastructure at the venue when it conducted the World Classical Tamil Conference, a pet project of former chief minister M. Karunanidhi in June 2010.
The DMK decided to convene its general council at Codissia in the last week of July to discuss its drubbing in the recent Assembly elections and the arrest of its leaders in the 2G scam. Sources said when the senior DMK functionaries approached Codissia officials, they cited a bylaw to deny the party permission.