DMK's high-level strategy committee meeting on June 2 to discuss poll defeat

Chennai: In its series of analysis meetings planned to discuss the party's rout in the April 24 Lok Sabha polls, DMK on Tuesday announced convening its high-level strategy committee meeting on June 2, a day ahead of party chief M Karunanidhi's birthday.

The party patriarch will chair the meeting at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, its General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement.

The meeting of the party leaders will debate the loss and also discuss the strategy to strengthen the party in the future, he said.

Based on the outcome of the meeting, other decision-making bodies--Executive and General Council, will meet later and the dates will be announced accordingly, he said.

In its worst electoral performance since 1991, DMK was swept away by its arch rival AIADMK as the Karunanidhi-led party could not win a single seat out of the 35 it had contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Its allies also lost all the seats they contested.

On Sunday, party Treasurer and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin, who had led DMK's charge in the elections by choosing its candidates and finalising the poll strategy, had offered to quit party posts which was turned down by the high command.

Karunanidhi had then said that a high-level committee will discuss the reasons for the loss.