The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is yet to fathom and unravel the factors responsible for its defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in April-May 2026. A high-level executive committee meeting held last week, chaired by the party president and former chief minister MK Stalin, announced a major revamp of the party organization at all levels, with the aim of infusing new blood and drawing younger generation into the party and organizational structure.
There are two crucial components to the resolution adopted at this meeting. Firstly, the party has decided to create more district units and increase the current strength of 77 to 110. Secondly, the fixation of age cap for district secretaries at 70 besides limiting their tenure to a maximum of three terms. The party has also reviewed the working of local units by fixing the maximum age for unit secretaries at 45 with only two terms. A new organizational structure has been created in municipal corporations like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem with a need based assessment in regard to other corporations and the scope of division units (circle) in Chennai comes with age limit and a maximum of two terms. The town panchayats and panchayat unions at the local level have also been brought under this revamp with age limit of 60 and a maximum of two terms.
Stalin considers that there were many reasons for the party’s defeat in the assembly elections in April-May, 2026, the performance of the functionaries was one of them. He also reiterated the need to win the confidence of the youth and women. One of the critical observations made by Stalin was that several party functionaries were found wanting in their ability to take party workers along despite their ideological commitment and fighting spirit. He also advised the party members to discuss and debate politics at their home with their children and family members as well as propagate the party ideology among their relatives and gain the confidence of their neighbours. All these recommendations may appear to be routine and rhetoric after the shocking defeat of the party in the assembly elections. But there is a great element of truth in his overall observation(s) and the recommendations as bitter medicine to save the party and its future.
{{/usCountry}}Stalin considers that there were many reasons for the party’s defeat in the assembly elections in April-May, 2026, the performance of the functionaries was one of them. He also reiterated the need to win the confidence of the youth and women. One of the critical observations made by Stalin was that several party functionaries were found wanting in their ability to take party workers along despite their ideological commitment and fighting spirit. He also advised the party members to discuss and debate politics at their home with their children and family members as well as propagate the party ideology among their relatives and gain the confidence of their neighbours. All these recommendations may appear to be routine and rhetoric after the shocking defeat of the party in the assembly elections. But there is a great element of truth in his overall observation(s) and the recommendations as bitter medicine to save the party and its future.
{{/usCountry}}DMK in power and out of power are portraits of different nature. There is no doubt about its ability to make a comeback, as Stalin says that “we are specialists in comebacks”. DMK is also known for 3Cs — conceited behavior, corruption and complacency that provokes the common voter to throw them out of power. But the recent defeat in the assembly elections opens up the Pandora box of decades of neglect of youth in party affairs, indifference over the larger public concerns like corruption, the decadent senior leadership at the districts, state liquor policy and the role of haughty bureaucracy at all levels from the panchayat union to the state secretariat.
The decision of the party leadership to revamp the organization and set age and term limits arises from this experience of the party in the last two decades. The role of liquor barons, sand, stone and minerals mafia are deeply linked to this power and party structure in almost all the districts. DMK has somewhat underestimated the peoples’ perception about the corruption and their restlessness with the middle and senior party leadership at the districts without relief or redressing of their grievances with the succession of family control in party and representative mechanism whether in state legislature or at the Parliament.
DMK as a party and political organization became complacent with the high-performing DMK government with the stable and acknowledged leadership of MK Stalin with weak second rung and corrupt senior leadership who resembled a bunch of courtiers. This has considerably weakened the two-way flow of communication between the leader, cadres and the common people. The idea of purchasing the vote has gone too far and long that people held no value for money or owed loyalty to any party including the DMK.
The large segment of neutral or non-committed voters voted for Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) without any expectations of their ideological commitment or organizational efficiency. DMK has not undertaken any study or analysis of the role and response of cinema industry. The party and leadership became vulnerable to the campaigns of the TVK orchestrated through social media that arise from the proximity and connections within the cinema industry.
DMK also has to do a serious introspection about its decision-making style and the role of advisors in critical situations like the Karur stampede incident in September 2025. The response of the party and government was more evasive than political-administrative. For want of a nail, the shoe was lost with DMK’s complacent attitude and weak decision-making triggered a catastrophic effect, eventually leading to the defeat of a party and government not meant to lose. It is for the party to determine whether this is a temporary setback or a gateway towards a gradual transition without DMK being a major player in Tamil Nadu politics although no one believes the current situation as an end or eclipse of the party. It is time for the party and leadership to restore the faith of the common people, cadres and revive the organisation.
(Prof.Ramu Manivannan is a political scientist – scholar-activist in areas of education, human rights and sustainable development. He is currently the director, Multiversity – Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Kurumbapalayam Village, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu.)