Not Anbagam, next DMK youth wing meet in star hotel

The influential youth wing leader has shown signs of the height to which youth wing could scale in a little over a month since he took over by hosting its functionaries meeting in one of the renowned star hotels in the city in roughly a fortnight from now.

The meeting of district, city, state-level organisers and deputy organisers would be held at Hotel Hilton in Guindy on August 25. This, despite the youth wing having a building of its own, Anbagam, not so far from the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam. The idea of hosting the 500 and odd officer-bearers at the star hotel was understood to have been taken by Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Sources privy to the development told DT Next that the youth wing had originally planned to host the same in another renowned star hotel in the neighbourhood of Anna Arivalayam, but it was shifted to Guindy for want of space. “Initially, we planned to hold the meeting in Hyatt, but the halls were booked. So, we shifted it to Hilton,” said a DMK insider requesting anonymity.

“Organisers informed the youth wing secretary about space being available only at Hilton. He instantly agreed and offered to take care (of the bill),” said a DMK source who did not wish to be named.

Curiously, this is not the first time a meeting was being held at the star hotel. If party sources are to be believed, the IT wing had met at the same Hilton a couple of years ago, thanks to the investment banker turned DMK MLA PTR Thiyagarajan, who had picked the venue then. In the same breath, the youth wing had also met at Hyatt hotel in Teynampet during the secretaryship of Stalin some years ago. Significantly, a vast hall capable of accommodating over 1,000 people was available in the Anna Arivalayam, wherethe general body meets of the party usually meets.

Inquiries made with DMK sources also confirmed that the new youth wing chief was keen on hosting a grand luncheon for his office-bearers in a star hotel despite the party having infrastructure aplenty. Significantly, the meeting of DMK district secretaries was held only at the DMK youth wing building only last month and that too at the behestof a few youth wing office-bearers who were keen on bringing a few sulking district secretaries to the youth wing headquarters.