Madurai, May 31 (IANS) The ruling DMK is gearing up for its General Council meeting on June 1 in Madurai, where Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is expected to formally launch the party’s campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections.

This high-profile meeting is being held in the temple town after more than four decades, signalling the party’s strategic focus on southern Tamil Nadu.

Party insiders confirm that CM Stalin will use the occasion to rally cadres and issue a clarion call for the next electoral battle.

The move also comes amid renewed political equations, with the AIADMK returning to the BJP-led NDA — a development the DMK intends to counter aggressively.

The General Council is set to pass key resolutions on familiar themes: State autonomy, linguistic rights, secularism, social justice, and criticism of the Governor’s office.

However, the meeting is also expected to build on the political capital earned by the DMK following its firm opposition to the contentious tungsten mining project, which was ultimately shelved.

This stance has found resonance in southern districts where public sentiment was strongly against the project.

The DMK’s choice of Madurai also aims to curb the early momentum of actor Vijay’s political outfit, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has reportedly marked Madurai as a base for its outreach.

The DMK hopes to reassert its dominance by assembling its 3,000-member decision-making body in the city, with around 100 senior leaders set to address a crowd of more than 10,000.

Organisational changes are also on the agenda. Highways Minister and senior leader E.V. Velu is likely to be elevated as a deputy general secretary.

However, speculation about Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin being given a similar role has been dismissed by party sources.

The Council is also expected to formalise new wings such as the ‘Unorganised Drivers’ Wing’ and a ‘Sports Development Wing’, initiatives that are intended to bring more youth and women into the party fold.

CM Stalin is also likely to issue warnings to some senior leaders over poor performance, signalling a push for internal accountability.

With these developments, the DMK aims to energise its base and fine-tune its organisational machinery ahead of the 2026 polls.

–IANS

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