CHENNAI: Signalling the growing influence of DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin in the party’s organisational affairs, the DMK has entrusted a young, Udhayanidhi-backed team with the task of reviewing the party after the Assembly election debacle across the State.
The 36-member committee, constituted by DMK president MK Stalin, is dominated by youth wing functionaries and leaders considered close to Udhayanidhi.
The move to assign key roles in the post-mortem panel assumes significance after Udhayanidhi was also elected as the Leader of the Opposition. The move of naming a large number of Udhayanidhi's supporters in the panel to review poll defeat suggests his growing hold over the party as well as the legislative unit.
Following the poll defeat, Stalin convened meetings with district secretaries, accepted responsibility for the setback and announced a detailed review to identify the reasons behind the rout.
Under the new review mechanism, two-member teams from the committee will assess the party’s performance in two or three districts each. The party has directed district secretaries to extend full cooperation and provide booth-wise voting data and organisational details.
Sources in the party said the composition of the panel underscored Udhayanidhi’s growing role in shaping the DMK’s organisational and political response following the electoral setback.
Among those appointed to the committee are former MLA CVMP Ezhilarasan, headquarters secretary Poochi S Murugan, spokesperson Saravanan, MPs Murasoli and Constandine Ravindran, former MP MM Abdullah, youth wing office-bearers S Joyal and EVV Kamban, deputy organisational secretary P Thayagam Kavi, Anjugam Boopathi, Parithi Ilamsurithi and KE Prakash.
The party said committee members would hold separate interactions with party functionaries and candidates during field visits, while district secretaries, observers, and candidates would not be allowed to participate in individual review discussions. The panel has been tasked with carrying out a district-wise assessment of the party’s poor electoral performance and submitting a report by June 5.