DMK sets up six-member team to restructure party

Putting behind its bitter poll debacle, DMK today set up a six-member team of senior party leaders to recommend measures to restructure and revitalise its district units ahead of the assembly elections in 2016.

91-year-old DMK Patriarch M Karunanidhi is keen on charting a road map for the party to ensure its return to power in the state.

"Certain issues need to be addressed and decisions on such issues will be announced, which will make the party a sharpened sword," he had said on his birthday on June 3.

Two days after his observations, DMK today officially notified the committee, comprising S Thiruvengadam, T S Kalyanasundaram, R Rajamanickam, former minister Thangam Thennarasu, MLA, advocate K S Radhakrishnan and S L T Sachidanandam.

The panel will study the present structure, its shortcomings and corrective measures to be taken in a bid to enhance confidence among party workers and make them battle ready for the assembly polls.

T K S Elangovan, Organisation Secretary told PTI that certain districts have comparatively more assembly constituencies which puts a burden on secretaries.

Also, there are party issues to be handled in local bodies like municipalities and corporation areas, he said.

The committee will look into all such aspects and come up with remedial measures, Elangovan said.

A district secretary is quite powerful in the DMK with significant authority and he is also the party's pointsman during polls.

Besides acting as a bridge between the high command and the cadres, he is the nerve centre of party work in districts.

DMK currently has a secretary for every 32 revenue districts barring Chennai and Madurai where it has two.

The party is evaluating if bringing in more secretaries in districts would help or whether another level of functionaries would be appropriate.