CHENNAI: The DMK is likely to announce a major restructuring of its organisational units, with the party expected to increase the number of district units from the existing strength of 78 to around 110, placing one district secretary in charge of two to three Assembly constituencies, party sources said.
The announcement is likely to be made at the party’s executive committee meeting on Saturday, amid growing demands within the organisation for the conduct of elections to various party posts and a revamp of the existing structure.
The proposed expansion of district units is part of a broader exercise being considered by the party leadership following the loss in the 2026 Assembly elections. Under the proposed arrangement, district secretaries would have jurisdiction over fewer Assembly constituencies, with the objective of making the party’s organisational structure more manageable and strengthening its presence at the constituency level.
Sources said the delay in announcing the new district secretaries was also linked to a review of the functioning of ministers and district secretaries during the previous DMK government.
A report prepared by party seniors as well DMK’s strategy firm PEN is learnt to have been submitted to DMK president MK Stalin, detailing the performance of former ministers and district secretaries and the level of dissatisfaction among party functionaries in several districts.
“The report has recommended changes in several districts, citing data and feedback on the functioning of incumbents,” sources privy to the report said.As part of the restructuring exercise, the party’s reorganisation committee has reportedly suggested moving senior district secretaries aged above 70 to state- or zonal-level responsibilities.
It has also proposed limiting the jurisdiction of district secretaries to a minimum of two and a maximum of three Assembly constituencies.Another source close to the party leadership said that another proposal under consideration was to appoint youth wing functionaries as district secretaries.
Party sources also said a senior leader in the rank of deputy general secretary had also suggested conducting organisational elections from the branch level to the party headquarters.
