DMK to hold meeting on Nov 20 for 2026 Assembly polls

Chennai, Nov 13 (IANS) The ruling DMK will hold a high-level executive meeting on November 20 to discuss preparations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

“The meeting will be chaired by DMK President and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam,” said the party general secretary and veteran leader, S. Duraimurugan, who also serves as the state’s water resources minister. 

The DMK has already appointed full-time workers for each of Tamil Nadu’s 234 Assembly constituencies. Half of these full-timers were selected from those who worked during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which saw the DMK-led INDIA Bloc secure a landslide victory by winning all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and a single seat in Puducherry. 

Each of the full-timers in charge of a constituency has been chosen after careful screening and with input from the party’s local leadership. Notably, these appointees are not residents of the constituencies where they are assigned full-time responsibilities. 

M.K. Stalin has expressed confidence that the DMK will win 200 of the 234 Assembly seats in the upcoming elections.

The DMK currently holds 133 seats in the Assembly. A team of DMK leaders, led by youth wing leader and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, along with state ministers Thangam Thenarasu, E.V. Velu, and party organising secretary R.S. Bharathi, has been designated to manage the elections, with Udhayanidhi overseeing day-to-day operations. 

In a recent high-profile meeting at Anna Arivalayam, Udhayanidhi criticised certain party leaders who did not meet expectations in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, despite being assigned responsibilities for specific constituencies. 

R.S. Bharathi, DMK organising secretary and senior leader on the core committee for selecting DMK candidates for the 2026 Assembly elections, stated: “Our leader and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M.K. Stalin, has already set a target of winning 200 Assembly seats in the 2026 elections, and the party’s organisational machinery is fully activated to achieve this goal.” 

He emphasised that senior leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, are managing day-to-day election preparations, ensuring the party’s readiness.