Chennai: On a Monday morning at Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, M.Okay. Stalin sits together with his district secretaries, working by way of a guidelines of marketing campaign duties. Ministers take notes, district secretaries nod in settlement, and Stalin retains the assembly shifting in line with his directions. That is Stalin’s DMK at this time—a celebration in everlasting election mode, constructed on welfare supply, booth-level organisation, and relentless campaigning.

For many years for the reason that Eighties, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Okay. Stalin lived below the shadow of his father, former CM and Dravidian patriarch M. Karunanidhi, and was addressed as Thalapathy (commander) by get together employees.

Seven years later, Stalin isn’t just his father’s inheritor, however the engineer of a brand new, extra centralised, disciplined and welfare-driven machine, one which retains cadres all the time on marketing campaign mode, say DMK employees. Within the seven years, he has shepherded the DMK by way of six consecutive electoral assessments, together with the native physique elections.

From the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to 2024 Lok Sabha polls, DMK has received all elections it has contested, changing into the ruling get together after successful the 2021 meeting elections.

“It was believed no one would settle for him. However Stalin got here in a choice no one may overturn. He reshaped the get together’s construction for a contemporary age. At present, DMK capabilities like a 24×7 election machine. Earlier, we might start work six months earlier than polls. Now, below him, the get together is in everlasting marketing campaign mode, just like the BJP within the north,” says a district secretary within the western area of Tamil Nadu, who didn’t wish to be recognized.

However political analysts in Tamil Nadu say that whereas Stalin has proved himself an ready chief of the DMK, he has been unable to maintain the senior energy centres within the get together in test past a degree.

“After Kalaignar, many predicted factions would cut up the get together. Stalin has proved himself by protecting the flock collectively and tackling potential rivals. However he has not been capable of absolutely management some senior leaders like Ponmudi and Durai Murugan,” political analyst and professor of political science Arun Kumar informed ThePrint.

Different analysts level out that Stalin’s strategy to politics is completely different from that of Karunanidhi.

Political analyst and Professor V.M. Sunilkumar informed ThePrint that M.Okay. Stalin was working the get together extra like J Jayalalithaa ran the AIADMK. “The get together was decentralised through the Kalaignar period, the place every district secretary held robust powers on the regional degree. Nevertheless, Stalin has concentrated the powers into the get together headquarters. That is how Jayalalithaa ran her get together,” mentioned Sunilkumar.

Whereas former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had the literary and oratory expertise to draw individuals, DMK’s senior leaders say Stalin has stored the flock collectively together with his “arduous work”.

The get together’s organising secretary and senior chief R.S. Bharathi recalled Karunanidhi’s reward of Stalin. “Though he’s mentioned to lack the literary expertise that Kalaignar had, he has been compensating for it together with his arduous work and dedication. As Kalaignar mentioned, Stalin means Uzhaipu, Uzhaipu, Uzhaipu (arduous work); he has earned every part by way of arduous work. Whether or not it’s modernising the get together or successful elections, it’s all due to Stalin’s arduous work,” R.S. Bharathi mentioned.

Centralisation vs decentralisation

Whereas Karunanidhi’s DMK was extra decentralised with robust district secretaries functioning as native chieftains, and senior leaders wielding appreciable autonomy, Stalin’s energy construction is linear.

A senior chief at Arivalayam, DMK’s headquarters, mentioned that key choices have been all the time taken by M.Okay. Stalin not like in M. Karunanidhi’s time.

“In Kalaignar’s period, decision-making was typically dispersed, with senior leaders having a say in working the get together. In distinction, all key choices relaxation firmly with Stalin, together with candidate choice for elections, alliance negotiation and disciplinary measures,” one other senior chief at Arivalayam informed ThePrint on situation of anonymity.

DMK organising secretary Bharathi mentioned, “Each period wants its personal management methodology. Kalaignar constructed a robust basis of ideology and oratory. Stalin has constructed a contemporary get together organisation fitted to at this time. For this reason DMK has turn out to be a celebration that’s election-ready always.”

Nevertheless, political analyst and professor of political science Arun Kumar mentioned the centralisation strategy would alienate employees from the get together. “He (Stalin) typically seems inaccessible to extraordinary get together employees. In a cadre-based get together just like the DMK, that closeness issues. Provided that he stays near his cadres will it mirror on the floor degree. That is the price of centralising the get together’s functioning to 1 particular person or to 1 energy centre,” Arun Kumar mentioned.

Actually, the focus of energy has left some senior leaders with restricted powers. A senior DMK chief, who was a minister in M. Karunanidhi’s cupboard, informed ThePrint that that they had no selection however to simply accept Stalin’s strategy. “Below Kalaignar’s regime, we got a free hand, as a result of, no matter we do, Kalaignar may management the injury. Additionally, social media was not this vibrant in these days, so it was not a difficulty then. However, now every part is below scrutiny and we have now to face the warmth from the get together management,” he mentioned.

The previous DMK minister additionally added that if floor reviews on his efficiency weren’t good, he wouldn’t be given a ticket to contest the 2026 meeting elections.

Modernisation of organisation

Sources inside the DMK described Stalin’s fashion as “managerial”, as in he ran the get together a lot as he ran the state authorities—by way of overview conferences, reviews, grievance cells, and structured monitoring.

“Stalin has moved DMK away from being only a mass-movement get together to being a everlasting election machine. He all the time retains the cadre engaged and he retains monitor of each exercise on the grassroot degree by way of apps and web sites. That is how he has modernised the organisation,” a supply within the get together’s Chennai district unit informed ThePrint.

DMK propaganda secretary E.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, who has labored with each father and son, attracts a distinction between the 2 leaders.

“Kalaignar used to write down letters, tackle large public conferences and conferences. His political profession itself spanned 50 years, he was chief for half a century. Stalin can be following these traditions, however he’s making use of know-how in methods his father by no means did. For example, within the membership drive, he demanded booth-wise knowledge, each sales space in each ward needed to present membership growth. That focus is new below him, and now DMK has crossed two crore members.”

Ezhilarasan added that Stalin was taking ahead the ideological legacy of Kalaingar though he differed in his functioning.

“Kalaignar laid the inspiration by protecting the get together ideologically robust. He by no means deviated from that. Stalin is constructing on that, taking it increased with new welfare schemes and administrative supply. As chief minister, he has proven how governance can deepen that ideological base.”

Analysts like Sunilkumar identified how Stalin has deputed political strategists for election campaigns and the way there may be an in-house political technique agency, Populous Empowerment Community (PEN) which handles the day-to-day exercise of the get together.

“It is a crucial transfer within the modern-day, as not one of the regional events have their very own political technique agency. It was shaped after Stalin took cost because the president of the get together. He doesn’t shrink back from hiring political strategists for elections, which reveals he’s adapting to the fashionable day electioneering techniques,” Sunilkumar mentioned.

Aside from the in-house political technique agency PEN, DMK has additionally employed political technique agency IPAC to work for the get together within the upcoming election, other than hiring Showtime Consultancy’s Robbinson Sharrma.

A supply working intently with a technique agency that works for DMK informed ThePrint that it was Stalin’s name to rent a number of consultants to work for DMK to make sure a second time period win.

“There was criticism that DMK has by no means come to energy for a second time period after the Nineteen Seventies. Therefore, this time, below his management, he needed to guarantee that DMK comes again for the second time period. Additionally, the thought behind hiring a number of strategists can be to stop them from working for the competitors,” the supply added.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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