DMK Passes Resolutions on Age Limits and Restructuring at Chennai Meeting

DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday announced significant changes to the party's organisational structure and criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay during an executive committee meeting in Chennai.

Addressing party leaders, Stalin criticised CM Vijay's conduct in the State Assembly, accusing him of treating the House like a movie set and focusing on delivering punch dialogues in reference to his background as an actor. Stalin also stated that the Chief Minister's primary focus has been changing the names of schemes introduced during the DMK's tenure, adding that the DMK remains connected with the day-to-day lives of the people.

During the meeting, the DMK Executive passed several resolutions aimed at increasing youth presence in the organisation by fixing age and term limits for key posts. Stalin said the party had lost an election rather than suffering a permanent defeat, noting that the outcome provided an opportunity to plan for the future.

Stalin acknowledged that the functioning of party office-bearers contributed to the defeat and stated that mistakes needed to be admitted openly. He explained that rather than examining each constituency individually and replacing personnel, the party chose to undertake a comprehensive self-assessment to address issues affecting the 75-year-old party.

Under the new resolutions, the maximum age for a Branch Committee Secretary has been fixed at 45 years, with individuals permitted to hold the post for a maximum of two terms. Branch Committees will be established in the Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Salem corporations, as well as in other corporations where needed, to strengthen Ward Committees.

In the Chennai Corporation, Ward Committees will cover an average of 10,000 voters, compared to 5,000 voters in other municipal corporations. The age cap for Municipal, City, and Town Panchayat Ward Committee Secretaries has been set at 50 years, with a two-term limit.

For Area Committees within the Chennai Corporation, jurisdiction will span an average of 40,000 voters, while Area Committees in other corporations will cover 30,000 voters. The maximum age for Area Committee Secretaries, Town Panchayat Committee Secretaries, and City Committee Secretaries has been fixed at 60 years, with a two-term limit.

Additionally, one Union Committee will be formed for every 30,000 voters on average, with the secretary's maximum age set at 60 years. While initially proposed for two terms, the term limit for Union Committee Secretaries was increased to three terms following discussions with Executive Committee members.