DMK limits district secretary tenure to three terms, sets age cap at 70

The DMK high-level executive committee has capped the tenure of district secretaries at three terms and set 70 as the maximum age for the post, while local unit chiefs will now face a stricter ceiling of 45 years and two terms.

The organisational overhaul, cleared at a meeting chaired by party president M.K. Stalin on Saturday, follows recommendations from a revamp committee he had appointed to inject younger leadership across the Dravidian party's structure.

District units to jump from 77 to 110

The resolution adopted at the executive committee meeting approved the creation of 33 additional district units, raising the total from 77 to 110. Each new district unit will comprise two Assembly constituencies within a revenue district, with any remaining constituency merged appropriately with another unit in the same revenue district.

Stalin will identify which Assembly constituencies form each district unit under the reorganisation. The party has scrapped the post of city unit secretary, citing the expansion in the number of district units as the reason.

New corporation-level structure

The DMK will establish a fresh organisational tier in municipal corporations, with secretaries limited to 45 years of age and two terms. These units will be set up in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem, and in other corporations as required.

The changes prioritise local units, which the resolution described as the primary roots of the party organisation, by ensuring younger faces lead them. District secretaries, while allowed to serve longer—up to three terms—must retire by 70.

The restructuring marks one of the most significant changes to the DMK's internal architecture in recent years, aimed at widening participation and addressing concerns about an ageing leadership cadre at the grassroots level.

Source: The Hindu