CHENNAI: As DMK’s post poll review nears completion, the party leadership is preparing for a massive overhaul in the organisation’s structure, with plans to increase the number of district secretaries from 78 to over 120.
A highly placed source in DMK said the ground level post poll review report is likely to be tabled before the party leadership on June 10. “Based on the review, the party is up for a major overhaul with an increase in the number of district secretaries from 78 to over 120.
With TN electoral battlefield turning into a multi-cornered contest, one district secretary taking care of multiple constituencies was excessive, and hence the party is looking to decentralise the party structure,” the highly placed source told TNIE.
The move comes in the backdrop of the party’s defeat in the recently held Assembly election. The party chief MK Stalin had formed a committee comprising MPs and senior functionaries for the review. A two-member team was assigned between 12 and 15 constituencies, spending at least five hours per constituency and up to 15 hours a day on the exercise.
One of the members of the review committee told TNIE functionaries in several constituencies flagged internal friction among party workers, and expressed dissatisfaction over inadequate cooperation from alliance partners during the campaign.
With the review team being instructed to record cadre feedback in writing, sources said, special attention is being paid to constituencies in Chennai, especially Kolathur where DMK president MK Stalin lost. Currently, each district secretary oversees anywhere between two and six Assembly constituencies.
The plan is to bring this down to two to four constituencies per secretary, necessitating the increase in their numbers. Sources added in filling the new posts, the leadership is likely to prioritise long-serving functionaries, youth, and women.
“This will pave the way for the functionaries from the party’s youth wing and women’s wing to take over key positions at the district level, while more young blood will be taking over the district level youth wing and women wing positions,” the source privy to the developments told TNIE.
The restructuring is expected to be taken up after the full review report is placed before DMK president MK Stalin, following which he is likely to convene a meeting with the review committee before announcing organisational changes.
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