DMK gears up for ‘do-or-die’ 2021 Assembly polls, to focus on ‘neutral’ voters

The workers are also collecting village-level data about the welfare schemes the party had created during its stints in power.

CHENNAI: Out of power for a decade, DMK cadres have no illusion that the 2021 Assembly elections in the State are a ‘do-or-die’ battle for the Dravidian party.

With the pandemic-induced lockdown having finally eased, party workers have embarked on a ground-up campaign with a focus on neutral or undecided voters. The workers are also collecting village-level data about the welfare schemes the party had created during its stints in power. This data will then be shared with the party’s IT wing for wide dissemination.

As part of the effort, the party’s powerful district secretaries have started conducting meetings with cadres at the village level and instructing them on micro-level election works.

They are guided by strategies shared by party chief MK Stalin during a recent video-conference. So far, at least six district units of the party have conducted such meetings since September 12.

The workers are being instructed to carry out door-to-door voter verification and get details of committed voters and neutral or undecided voters. The data on welfare schemes they are compiling include lists of how many buildings, bridges, check dams were constructed in the district during the last DMK regime, how many schools were upgraded, and how many new bus routes introduced.

“As cadres, we are well aware that it is a do-or-die election for us. If we fail to prove ourselves there is no chance for us to succeed in the near future. Hence, every cadre is ready for the intensive preparation,” one union-level party functionary from a northern district said.

“We will share the details of the welfare measures we have initiated and highlighted them with the voters during the verification exercise. The voters can then decide based on how they benefited under a DMK-led government,” said a union-level youth wing secretary of Kancheepuram district spoke to Express,