CHENNAI: The DMK on Monday set up a committee to listen to the grievances of cadre and take suggestions from them on restructuring the party organisation, reorganising party districts and other measures that are being taken in response to the party’s dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha election.
The party once again raised its demand for electoral reform, calling for proportional representation over the present ‘first past the post system’.
These were among the resolutions passed by the DMK’s high level strategy committee during the first formal meeting of functionaries after the Lok Sabha election debacle. Sobriety marked both the mood of the leaders attending the meeting as well as the language of the resolutions.
“This committee has decided to set up a committee to listen to grievances of cadre and take their suggestions on the long-discussed need for restructuring the party organisation and redrawing the party districts,” read the resolution.
Another asked the party’s candidates and the various constituency in-charges to present individual reports to party patriarch M Karunanidhi in person.
“All candidates and constituency in-charges are asked to prepare reports on their experiences during the election, the challenges they faced and their reasons for defeat. They are asked to prepare such a report after devoting considerable thought, and setting vitriolic aside,” read the resolution.
The DMK’s high level strategy committee also threw its weight behind a demand that has been raised in the past by party founder C N Annadurai. It noted that while Annadurai’s requests for proportional representation had been ignored, it had been taken up by various national parties.
The context for the DMK’s renewed demand for proportional representation lies in the fact that it has failed to win a single seat despite garnering a vote share of 23.6 per cent. Under the proportional representation system, the party would have gotten a few seats to which it could have appointed members.