Chennai, June 1 (Reporter) After holding a massive 25-kilometre road show and virtually kickstarting the campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Sunday presided over the party's key General Council Meeting that began in Madurai on Sunday for devising the poll strategy. Having got encouraging and enthusiastic response during his roadshow yesterday, Stalin's address at the meeting was being keenly watched in the political circles as he was expected to outline the road map for the polls. The GC, the DMK's highest policy-level decision making body, is meeting in Madurai after a gap of 48 years. The last time it was held in this temple town was in 1977 when late DMK leader K Anbazhagan was elected as the General Secretary, a post which he had held till his death. It was celebration time for the DMK workers as the GC venue was modelled on the lines of the party headquarters 'Anna Arivalaym' in Chennai with giant cutouts of late DMK Founder C N Annadurai, late DMK patriarch and former CM M Karunanidhi, Rationalist leader and social reformer Periyar and that of Stalin. Posters hailing Stalin and DMK party flags fluttered across the city as a festive mood prevailed at the venue. The DMK is eyeing a repeat of its 2021 resounding poll victory when it returned to power after a gap of ten years and Stalin became the Chief Minister for the first time. More than 10,000 DMK functionaries and cadres, including 6,500 General Council members, participated in the meeting to prepare the party cadres for the crucial polls and enthuse them to ensure that the party retained power for a second successive term. With the alliance more or less cemented by keeping all partners in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) fold, the GC meet, apart from devising the poll strategy was expected to adopt some key resolutions on important issues concerning the state, including on NEET. Resolutions including those against the BJP-led Government at the Centre, for withholding due funds to the state for not implementing the NEP-2020 that envisaged implementation of the three-language formula as against the long followed 2-language policy, centre's attempt to impose Hindi and on the proposed delimitation that would reduce TN's Parliamentary representation were expected to be adopted at the meeting. A major highlight of the Chief Minister’s 2-day visit was the grand roadshow he held last evening in what was seen as a show of strength in the southern districts, to galvanise the party workers and gear them up for the elections. The meeting assumes significance, especially after Stalin for the first time after becoming the chief minister met his elder brother and expelled South Zone Organisational Secretary M K Azhagiri, who wields considerable clout in the southern districts. Azhagiri's influence was expected to play a major part for DMK to sweep the southern districts in the upcoming polls. DMK has set a goal of winning more than 200 seats in 2026 and retaining power, unperturbed by the Opposition AIADMK and its ally the BJP's claim of cashing in on the perceived anti-incumbency factor. It was an unprecedented response for Stalin in his first road show in Madurai as hundreds and thousands of cheering DMK cadres and public, including women and children, carrying party flags, DMK symbol 'Rising Sun' and portraits of the chief minister , lined up on both sides of the roads all along the route. With festive decorations across the city and thousands of cadres arriving from across the state, Madurai has not only turned into a veritable DMK fortress, but has emerged as vibrant political hub, with several political party leaders -- past and present -- who have launched their political foray from this historic city from where the legendary Bharat Ratna and AIADMK Founder MGR was elected in 1977 and became the Chief Minister and the rest is history...////...