CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has constituted a 36-member committee led largely by young functionaries close to Udhayanidhi Stalin to review the party’s poor performance in the recently concluded Assembly election.
The party, which had publicly targeted more than 200 seats, managed to secure only 59 seats in the election.
Following the defeat, DMK president M. K. Stalin held discussions with district secretaries and took responsibility for the unexpected setback. At the same time, he announced that a detailed district-wise review would be undertaken to identify the reasons behind the defeat.
As part of the exercise, the party has formed a 36-member panel, with each two-member team assigned to review the performance in two or three districts.
Most of the members in the committee belong to the DMK youth wing or are considered close associates of Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Among those included in the panel are former MLA C. V. M. P. Ezhilarasan, headquarters secretary Poochi S. Murugan, party spokesperson Saravanan, MPs Murasoli and Constandine Ravindran, former MP M. M. Abdullah, youth wing office-bearers S. Joyal and E. V. V. Kamban, deputy organisational secretary P. Thayagam Kavi, Anjugam Boopathi, Parithi Ilamsurithi and K. E. Prakash.
In a statement, the party said the committee would submit its report to Stalin by June 5.
The DMK also instructed district secretaries to extend full cooperation to the committee and provide booth-wise voting details and organisational data.
The party said the committee members would hold separate consultations with party functionaries and candidates during their field visits. District secretaries, observers and candidates would not be allowed to participate during individual review interactions.