Focus on young blood, mandatory two-term limit: DMK’s overhaul to bounce back after poll defeat

After losing an election, the DMK led by Stalin is set to overhaul its organisation with a focus on young blood and mandatory term limits. At a meeting chaired by Stalin, the party's executive committee passed nine key resolutions to radically restructure the party's organisational setup. The party will expand its organisational districts from 78 to 110, with each district covering two Assembly constituencies for better localised administration.

The new structure will abolish the post of city secretary in major urban centers and redraw urban zones based on voter density, with Chennai Corporation Area Committees averaging 40,000 voters and other corporations having 30,000 voters per committee. Stalin introduced strict age caps for positions, fixing the maximum age for a Branch Committee Secretary at 45 years, with a limit of two terms.

Municipal/City/Town Panchayat Ward Committee Secretaries must be under 50 years old, holding the post for two terms, while Town Panchayat Committee Secretaries can be up to 60 years old, also limited to two terms. Stalin acknowledged his role in the party's electoral setback and emphasized the importance of a comprehensive self-assessment to address mistakes and plan for the future.