After its defeat in the Assembly elections in 2016, the DMK high-command removed some district secretaries, including those in the western region where it fared poorly. Realising that this is inadequate, the party’s working president, M.K. Stalin, has shifted his focus to grassroot workers, promising to create a system that would work ruthlessly against those who remain indifferent to the party’s interest and fail to carry party workers with them.
The DMK has now decided that no individual can hold two party posts. The party has realised that it cannot remain complacent, considering that Chief Ministership has eluded Mr. Stalin, while relatively low-profile politicians have come to occupy it.
“A good leader quickly identifies the problems and gets to the bottom of them. District secretaries may be in the limelight, but it is the office-bearers at the lower-level units who work as a conduit and bring votes. Mr. Stalin’s recent meeting with them proved to be very effective,” said former Union Minister T.R. Baalu.
Mr. Stalin also made it a point to meet leaders who had faced action in the wake of the party’s defeat. Among those whom he met were former union minister Gandhi Selvan, who was dropped as Namakkal (North) secretary, and M. Veeragopal, former secretary of the Coimbatore Urban north unit. “The biggest challenge is to motivate the leaders and the cadre to shed their complacency and galvanise them for the election. Our partymen have come to the conclusion that we are in a strong position to win the election, given the fractured political scenario,” said DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan.
‘Need to boost morale’
Another party senior acknowledged: “In the western districts, we have more leaders than executors on the ground.” A few party leaders said the DMK was in dire need of an electoral victory to keep the morale of the leaders and the cadre high. “The DMK should win the trust of the people and emerge as a viable alternative. T.T.V. Dhinakaran can’t be underestimated,” said a senior figure in the party.
However, many second-line leaders are concerned about the presence of Mr. Stalin’s son and actor Udhayanidhi in party functions of late. “His entry at this juncture will certainly not augur well for us, since we are already facing criticism for promoting family members in the party. On the one hand, you remove M.K. Alagiri, and on the other, you legitimise his criticism of the party leadership by giving space to Mr. Udhayanidhi,” a party leader said.
