CHENNAI: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Out of power for a decade, the DMK this time can afford no weak links, and has tasked the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) of ensuring that all party functionaries and cadre are on the same page. The poll strategy firm has been toiling at striking compromises between feuding party workers for the past one month.
With around one crore cadre and a few lakh functionaries to manage them, episodes of discord among them was inexorable for the DMK. With victory for the DMK, and the noted reputation for I-PAC on the line, all functionaries are likely to toe the line.
On condition of anonymity, an I-PAC functionary told Express, “To gauge the gravity of the situation, I-PAC appointed a special POC(Point of Contact) for party affairs and a POC for social media activities for each union. Through their reports, we learnt of various instances of friction between DMK members.
So, we decided that before executing any poll strategy, first all members should be made to bury the hatchets. We held talks with them and addressed their grievances. We have struck compromises for at least 200 such disputes among members.”
Factional turmoil between followers of Veerapandi A Raja, Panaimaraththu Patti Rajendran and SR Sivalingam with former minister Selvaganapathi’s supporters in Salem district was a task cut out for the I-PAC. “They held talks and successfully solved the dispute,” a DMK union-level functionary said. Party functionaries in other districts too acknowledged the efforts of I-PAC.