DMK Executive Committee Meeting to be held today, Stalin likely to expand district units

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 22 (ANI): The DMK Executive Committee Meeting, headed by party president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, is scheduled to be held at the party headquarters, Arivalayam, in Chennai's Teynampet on Saturday.
DMK leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin and O Panneerselvam, along with former ministers, were seen entering the Kalaignar Hall at the DMK headquarters to attend the meeting.
Sources said that Stalin is set to expand the party's district units from 78 to over 100, promote women and youth within the organisation, and replace underperforming local leaders across districts.
This follows the party's defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in May, where TVK emerged as the single largest party and formed a government with support from smaller parties, including Congress, VCK, and Left parties.
Meanwhile, DMK leaders have also been focusing on the proposed Delimitation exercise and earlier slammed the ruling TVK over its stance on the exercise.
A sharp political face-off erupted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday as the DMK and TVK clashed over the state's official stance on the upcoming delimitation exercise.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned the consistency of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, pointing out that while the state assembly had passed a resolution to "freeze" the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543, the Chief Minister had omitted the specific term during the zonal meeting that took place yesterday.
"The TVK government passed a resolution in this House to freeze total Lok Sabha seats at 543, but Chief Minister Vijay did not use the word 'freeze' at the Southern Zonal Council meeting," Udhayanidhi noted, suggesting a dilution of the state's demand.
The exchange intensified as both sides traded charges of compromising the state's interests. Udhayanidhi reiterated that the DMK remains committed to a total freeze on the redrawing of constituencies, or at the very least, ensuring that Tamil Nadu's current 7.18 per cent representation is not reduced.
Minister Adhav Arjuna countered the LoP, alleging that the DMK had historically shifted its position. "If they ask only for fair delimitation, it would be a betrayal to Tamil Nadu," Arjuna remarked, claiming the DMK had previously not insisted on the 543-seat cap. (ANI)