Chennai: There is a certain degree of pomp in the manner in which the DMK and AIA DMK are going about their organizational polls this time. Facing court cases, the polls appear to be the trump card both the Dravidian majors are utilizing to lift the morale of party cadres. At least one party, the DMK, which suffered a body blow in 2011 and 2014 polls, had already done that.
After doubling its party district units to 65 a few months back, the DMK has showed unusually high level of enthusiasm in the organizational shake-up it had effected thus far. The DMK party organ Murasoli had more statements (from Karunanidhi) about the polls on page one than the letters he penned daily to take on rival AIADMK in power of late.
Call it coincidence or strategy, creation of more district units had opened up the competition and brought most party functionaries out this time.
Whether it was exchange of blows in Anna Nagar or amicable settlement in North Chennai district secretary election, the aspiring DMK funcationaries had consistently kept the polls in the limelight. Needless to say, the city walls are littered never like before with DMK posters thanking the triumvirate of Anna Arivalayam, party president M. Karunanidhi, general secretary K. Anbazhagan and treasurer M.K.Stalin to holding the polls.
Though it is widely believed that the likely elevation of Stalin, who had got his men posted in most of the districts and wrested control of the party, to an even bigger position had drawn more attention, influential DMK insiders were not averse to admitting that the organizational poll was a posture to political rivals and potential allies for 2016.
“The polls had not only engaged cadres and kept their aspirations alive but also reposed faith in them, especially after the 2011 and 2014 poll defeats dented the morale,” remarked a senior party leader heading a district unit. “This will also reestablish the fact among other parties that we have a strong organization at booth and area level, which they badly need to face elections. And hence we are still an ally leader in the reckoning despite all our setbacks, ” he added.
“There is some noise about the BJP filling a vacuum and creating a space in TN. It does not augur well for us. We have to stamp our authority and assert our position,” a senior state functionary requesting anonymity added even describing the frequent mention in Karunanidhi’s statement about DMK having 84 lakh members as a pointer to the party flaunting its reach.
Incidentally, the four-months the AIADMK had bought from Election Commission of India to complete its organizational rejig had not deterred party functionaries who have started flooding advertisements in regional newspapers about polls even to lower levels already.
More could be expected in the days to come given the AIADMK’s control of Fort St George. Both partymen did not mind conceding that their show of strength would offset the poser of BJP, which sees a window of opportunity, in their weakness.
