DMK goes young to counter TVK

CHENNAI: The DMK’s major organisational overhaul, which expands party districts from 77 to 110 and caps the age of district secretaries at 70, signals a strategic move to counter the growing Gen Z appeal of Vijay’s ruling TVK.

The sweeping changes are expected to force several heavyweight leaders to make way for younger faces at the district level.

DMK Executive Committee, which met at Anna Arivalayam on Saturday, also limited district secretaries to two terms and resolved to abolish the post of city secretary.

The new age criteria will directly impact prominent senior leaders, including former ministers R Gandhi, EV Velu, Gingee KS Masthan, S Muthusamy, S Regupathy, KKSSR Ramachandran and Anitha R Radhakrishnan, along with former Assembly Speaker K Avudaiyappan.

Given their seniority and contribution, the party high command is likely to accommodate them in State-level roles. Furthermore, the two-term limit will force several veteran district secretaries who have held their posts for multiple terms to pave the way for fresh leadership.

Under the restructured organisational design, one party district will be created for every two Assembly constituencies, aligned with revenue districts. Where a single constituency remains after reorganisation, it will be attached as a third unit to an adjoining party district within the same revenue district.

The restructuring extends deep into the party’s cadre base. The maximum age for branch secretaries has been capped at 45 with a two-term limit. Ward secretaries across corporations, municipalities and town panchayats can serve a maximum of two terms, with the age ceiling fixed at 50.

For area, town and union-level secretaries, the maximum age limit has been set at 60, again with a two-term cap.

The party will focus on strengthening branch units in key urban centres including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy and Salem, along with other corporations.

Under the new norms, each ward in Chennai will cover an average of 10,000 voters, while in other corporations it will be an average of 5,000 voters per ward.

Area committees will oversee roughly 40,000 voters in Chennai and 30,000 in other corporations. Town committees will cater to an average of 40,000 voters, while union committees will be formed for every 30,000 voters.

Once the party chief announces the 110 districts, district Executive Committees will meet to complete the reorganisation of union, town, area and ward units within 15 days, in strict adherence to headquarters guidelines.

A second district Executive Committee meeting will then be convened with a headquarters observer to approve the restructured units before submitting the final lists.

ON EXIT PATH

12 district secretaries who face the exit under the new rule:

EV Velu (75) – Tiruvannamalai South

S Regupathy (76) – Pudukkottai South

S Muthusamy (77) – Erode South

KKSSR Ramachandran (77) – Virudhunagar South

Gingee KS Masthan (71) – Villupuram North

R Gandhi (80) – Ranipet

Anitha R Radhakrishnan (74) – Thoothukudi South

K Avudaiyappan (81) – Tirunelveli West

SR Sivalingam (75) – Salem East

N Ramakrishnan (77) – Theni South

Sakkottai G Anbalagan (72) – Thanjavur North

K Sundar (72) – Kancheepuram South