DMK to hold strategic meet today after party's rout in Lok Sabha polls

Chennai: The DMK will hold a high-level strategic meet on Monday to discuss strengthening the party after their poor poll performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The DMK failed to win a single seat in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Its allies also drew a blank.

K Anbazhagan, M K Stalin, Arcot N Veerasamy, Duraimurugan and Kanimozhi are among the leaders who are expected to participate in the meeting.

On Sunday, Karunanidhi urged the party cadres to "self-introspect" and ensure their words and deeds are in consonance with DMK's ideals. "Good or bad does not come from others," he said, quoting a popular verse to indicate that blame for defeat should collectively lie within the party.

In a message to cadres ahead of his 91st birthday on June 3, Karunanidhi also said "no one can destroy you...except by yourself," quoting party founder CN Annadurai.

"Party workers should use the poll results to sharpen and equip themselves better by self-introspection. See where you are, what you are doing and [understand] its consequences, realise that words and deeds should be in consonance with the party ideals," Karunanidhi said.

Stating that several reasons were being put forth by many for the poll debacle, the DMK chief, without naming any leader said, "It is being stated that some party workers shunned poll work or their activities had brought bitterness and regret among the electorate."

The DMK chief pointed out that the party had made dramatic comeback in the past after electoral routs. "Whether it is victory or defeat, I continue to move on in the path of the ideal without losing heart," he said.

Ahead of the polls, the DMK had suspended the party's southern strongman and elder son of Karunanidhi, MK Alagiri on January 24 and expelled him on March 25 for "anti-party" activities. Many of Alagiri's supporters were also expelled.

Since then, Alagiri had been voicing his protest in several forms and had even rightly predicted that the party would be defeated badly in polls.

(With additional information from PTI)