The ruling DMK has called for a meeting of its district secretaries on Saturday, May 28, to discuss the preparations for the 99th birth anniversary of the party’s former president M Karunanidhi on June 3.

DMK general secretary Duraimurugan on Monday announced that party president cum Chief Minister MK Stalin would chair the meeting to be held at party headquarters Anna Arivalayam at 10.30 am on Saturday. Though the ensuing birth anniversary of Karunanidhi has been cited as the agenda of the meeting, the DMK leadership is expected to take stock of the setbacks suffered by the ruling party in the backdrop of the state government making a U turn on the Pattanapravesham of the pontiff of Dharmapuram Mutt, ban on observing Mullivaikkal massacre anniversary and establishment of cow sheds, which annoyed its core Dravidian constituency in the state.

The meeting also happens in the backdrop of speculated cabinet reshuffle, precisely, induction of DMK youth wing secretary cum Chepuak-Triplicane MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin in the state cabinet.

The DMK high command is also understood to be keen on making some organisational changes in the party like reducing the number of party districts, which has been doing the rounds in the party circles of late. The seeming friction caused by the recent release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict AG Perarivalan to the ties between DMK and Congress could also be among the issues being discussed in the meeting.

However, unlike previous such meetings, this week’s meeting could lack the usual fireworks as the high command has already announced its candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 10.

The meeting happens in the backdrop of speculated cabinet reshuffle, precisely, induction of DMK youth wing secretary and MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin into the state cabinet