CHENNAI: The DMK has deployed party seniors across the State as zonal in-charge and Assembly constituency in-charge to carry out micro-management in the poll campaign to prevent splitting of anti-incumbency votes to other fronts. In order to carry out micro-level management during the election works, sort out the issues that erupted between cadre on the ground, coordinate between leaders and cadre of alliance partners and drive the cadre towards victory, the DMK leadership has appointed five well-known influential leaders in the capacity of zonal in-charge in the State.
The zonal in-charges are Kanimozhi Karunanidhi for south zone, Rajya Sabha MP P Shanmugam for central zone, former Union ministers S Jegathratchagan for north zone, Dhayanidhi Maran for west zone and A Raja for Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts. Besides, the party has appointed party seniors and former ministers in the capacity as in-charge of Assembly constituencies. Former minister M Thennavan for Manamadurai, Pongalur Palanisamy for Tirupur (South) and Palladam Assembly constituency, and sitting and former MPs and MLAs for various Assembly constituencies have been appointed.
A state-level functionary of the DMK told Express, “This election is going to witness a three-cornered contest and other candidates who are expected to get the anti-incumbency votes. The split of votes would ultimately affect the prospects of the DMK.” He pointed out that in the 2006 Assembly elections, the DMK-led alliance lost nearly 25 Assembly constituencies due to new entrant DMDK, and in the 2011 assembly elections, the alliance failed to cross the victory line in more than 20 Assembly seats for want of just about 2,000 votes in each of them.
And the DMK failed to form the government after the last Assembly elections for want of just 1.1 per cent votes as the third front played spoilsport. Another functionary from DMK advocates wing told Express, “The party has appointed a team of advocates to every Assembly constituency to execute the legal battle immediately at ground zero.
For which, the party has appointed at least 25 advocates for all the Assembly constituencies and a war room has also been established at district party unit offices to address the grievances related to poll works.” By deploying the senior leaders and hundreds of functionaries across the State with the sole aim of ensuring electoral victory, the DMK is more battle-ready day by day.