Chennai, August 22
The DMK on Saturday approved a major organisational overhaul that will expand its district units from 77 to 110 and introduce age and tenure limits for office-bearers across the party.
The decisions were taken at an executive committee meeting chaired by party president M.K. Stalin at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. The restructuring, recommended by a special revamp panel, will be implemented through the DMK’s 16th organisational elections as the party prepares for its centenary.
Under the revised framework, branch secretaries must be 45 or younger and can hold office for only two terms. The party will also introduce a new branch-level structure in urban areas, beginning with Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Salem before considering an extension to other municipal corporations.
Ward units in Chennai will have about 10,000 voters each, while those in other cities will cover roughly 5,000. Ward secretaries must be no older than 50 and may serve a maximum of two terms.
A similar two-term limit will apply to panchayat, area, town and union secretaries, whose upper age limit will be 60. Area units will cover around 40,000 voters in Chennai and 30,000 elsewhere. Town and union units will be created for populations of about 40,000 and 30,000 respectively.
Union units will be aligned with panchayat unions and kept entirely within a single Assembly constituency. No panchayat can be divided between two party unions.
The biggest change is the creation of 110 party districts. Each will generally comprise two Assembly constituencies within a revenue district. Any remaining constituency may be attached to another unit in the same revenue district.
District secretaries must be below 70 and may serve three terms. Stalin will finalise the composition of units. Once announced, district committees must form lower-level bodies within 15 days and forward the lists to headquarters for approval.
