DMK’s student wing, which party sources say had been functioning under Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s direction in recent years, has now come under the influence of deputy general secretary Kanimozhi.
According to student wing office-bearers, the student wing is considered one of the party’s key affiliate units, after the youth and women’s wings. They said the wing traditionally operates under the leadership’s control and, after Udhayanidhi’s rise, many functionaries aligned with him.
Sources alleged that Kanimozhi, who already has significant influence over the women’s wing and had earlier formed a separate women volunteers’ wing, has expanded her footprint by placing a woman functionary, Veeramani, as student wing secretary through student wing in-charge Raja.
At a protest held in Chennai’s Saidapet against NEET and alleged Hindi imposition, Kanimozhi’s photograph appeared on the student wing’s stage for the first time, the sources said. They also claimed promotional material at the venue displayed her images more prominently than Udhayanidhi’s.
The protest was described as the DMK’s first agitation after the election. Despite Udhayanidhi being in Chennai, he was not invited, the sources said, adding that some state deputy secretaries and district organisers stayed away in protest, though many attended as Raja participated.
