MK Stalin Announces Major DMK Organisational Overhaul After Tamil Nadu Poll

DMK chief MK Stalin has announced a major reorganisation of the party structure, months after the party lost the Tamil Nadu Assembly election and he was out of the Chief Minister’s post. Acknowledging the defeat, Stalin attributed it partly to the functioning of party office-bearers and stressed the need to address organisational shortcomings. He said the DMK must openly recognise its mistakes and work to rebuild trust among voters.

Stalin described the DMK as a “comeback specialist” and expressed confidence that the party would return to power. He announced a series of organisational changes aimed at bringing younger faces into party positions and improving its functioning at different levels. The reforms include age limits and fixed terms for office-bearers, with Stalin indicating that some of the changes could disappoint existing leaders but were necessary for the party’s long-term future.

Under the new rules, branch secretaries will have to be aged 45 or below and will be permitted to serve a maximum of two terms. District secretaries will have to be below 70 years of age and can hold the position for a maximum of three terms. Stalin said the changes were intended to ensure the sustainability of the DMK over the next 100 years, while placing greater emphasis on youth and women and prioritising new faces in organisational positions.

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The DMK executive committee has also approved a significant expansion of the party’s district structure, increasing the number of party districts from 77 to 110. The reorganisation will generally align party districts with revenue districts, with each unit expected to cover two Assembly constituencies. Where only one constituency remains after the restructuring, it will be attached to another suitable party district within the same revenue district.

The party will also introduce a new branch-level structure in urban areas, including the post of branch secretary. The system will initially be implemented in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Salem before potentially being extended to other municipal corporations. These changes will be implemented as part of the DMK’s 16th organisational elections.

Stalin has been authorised to determine and announce the constituencies covered by the 110 new party districts. After the new districts are announced, district executive committees will have 15 days to establish the union, city, area, town, ward and branch-level units. The reorganisation marks a significant attempt by the DMK leadership to restructure its organisation, impose greater limits on party posts and prepare the party for its political comeback.

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