DMK sets up enquiry panel, calls for meeting

A few heads, even if not big, may roll in the DMK ranks when the high-level strategy committee of the party meets here on Friday, understandably, to discuss the RK Nagar poll debacle.

Party working president MK Stalin has begun “weeding out” party functionaries suspected to be responsible for the rout in the crucial by-election. In his open letter released shortly after party general secretary K Anbazhagan announced the high-level strategy meeting, Stalin asked the cadre not to be cowed down by the defeat and said the ‘weeds’ would be removed from the party.

The committee will retrospect the failed poll strategy, its application, slackness and the reasons for decline in the party’s poll percentage soon, Stalin told the cadre in the letter. It was followed by an announcement from Anna Arivalayam that an “enquiry committee” would be formed immediately as per Stalin’s advice to analyse the poll failure.

A thorough probe will be conducted by the committee comprising party whip R Chakrapani, legal wing secretary R Girirajan and deputy legal wing secretary V Kannadasan. The committee has been asked to table its comprehensive report with the leadership before December 31.

Though the DMK does not have the tradition of reprimanding functionaries as strong as the AIADMK after poll setbacks, a few lower level functionaries in Chennai could be punished, said a senior DMK functionary, admitting that the party campaign even lacked the usual man power this time.

“That we did not even secure the assured party votes (around 25%) shows that the usually well-oiled party organization has not worked at all. We could have saved face even if we had finished second or secured deposit.

Now, Stalin’s leadership has come under question more than the forfeiture of deposit. It has hurt the leadership badly,” said a leader close to Stalin.

“Post-polls, it has come to the leader’s notice that the size of DMK campaign teams was in single digits in some places. Other than turning up for key leader’s rallies, campaign managers had stayed indoors after the party decided not to distribute money to voters. All that would be discussed on Friday,” said an agitated DMK ex-MP, accusing an otherwise hardworking district secretary from Chennai of not even turning up regularly for campaigns in RK Nagar.