CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will begin one-on-one interactions with party functionaries from each Assembly constituency at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai from Friday as part of preparations for the 2026 Assembly election.
The initiative has been named ‘Udanpirappe Vaa’.At the DMK’s general council meeting held in Madurai on June 1, Stalin had announced that he would personally meet functionaries from all ranks across the 234 constituencies in the state.
Accordingly, he is scheduled to interact with functionaries from Villupuram, Chidambaram and Usilampatti on Friday. Functionaries from the district level down to union and town secretary levels have been invited. The meetings will begin at 10 am and continue until the afternoon.
According to sources, Stalin is expected to listen to the grievances and views of party cadre to gain a deeper understanding of local dynamics, both within the party and in their constituencies. The interactions will also give him feedback on the performance of local MLAs and ministers. These meetings will offer Stalin an early indication of potential candidates for the 2026 elections, sources said.
During the interactions, Stalin will emphasise on strengthening the party’s grassroots presence by pushing the membership drive, with a target of enrolling 30% of the electorate in each booth as DMK members, sources added.
“If these interactions are held in the presence of district secretaries, many may not feel comfortable expressing their thoughts freely. Even if it is just for a minute, the CM should hold individual meetings with each functionary. Only then will he get a true picture of the ground realities,” a functionary from Cuddalore told TNIE. He also warned that some district secretaries might brief or influence the cadre ahead of the meeting, discouraging them from raising contentious issues or voicing complaints.