DMK plans to appoint women, youth as district secretaries

CHENNAI: Seeking to counter the TVK and its leader, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who ousted it from power on the back of what is believed to be a youth surge, the principal opposition party, the DMK, is planning to appoint women and youth wing functionaries to key organisational posts, particularly as district secretaries, a powerful position within the party apparatus.

The DMK currently has 78 district secretaries, of whom former minister P Geetha Jeevan, the district secretary of Thoothukudi, is the only woman. She is also the daughter of N Periasamy, a party strongman in southern Tamil Nadu.

"Except Geetha Jeevan, there is no woman district secretary in the party. The party also does not have young faces as district secretaries. In Chennai which has six district secretaries, for instance, most of them are old faces. Now the party has decided to shakeup the mid-level leadership in Chennai and neighbouring districts, where the party performed poorly in the recently concluded election," party sources told DT Next.

Women functionaries in the party have welcomed the proposal to give greater representation to women and youth in organisational positions.

"If the party takes such a decision, it should be welcomed. It will also strengthen women's empowerment within the party," said J Veeramani, secretary of the DMK Students' Wing.

The party is also considering increasing the number of organisational districts from 78 to around 100 to ensure smoother and more effective functioning of its affairs, sources said.