DMK to revise media strategy ahead of polls to take on ruling government

Call it professional intervention of poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) or prodding of second rung leaders, information spilling out of DMK camp suggest that more DMK leaders would go public against the incumbent government henceforth.

DMK was understood to have decided to unleash at least three different faces per week to target the ruling dispensation on different issues.

DT Next has learnt from party insiders that the high command would cherry pick leaders, feed inputs on select issues to criticise the government in public.

The decision was believed to have been made during the meeting of party district secretaries, MPs and MLAs held via video call recently.

A party senior who confirmed the plan being worked out by the high command says; “The party president rakes up issues regularly now. When the ruling party ministers or its functionaries react to it, only a handful of our former ministers and senior district secretaries respond to the sitting ministers.

Now, new faces will join the media campaign,” said a party senior requesting anonymity, citing how I. Periasamy responded to his predecessor RB Udayakumar last week.

“Unlike in the past, second leaders might also rake up issues hereafter. They will not stop with merely responding to ministers. They have been advised to go public repeatedly. Though the headquarters will send inputs, leaders have also been advised to keep abreast with issues assigned to them to outwit the ruling party,” the leader added.

The redesigned media campaign could likely throw light on some low profile leaders, which would increase their familiarity among the people, and increase the unpopularity of the government.

If sources are to be believed, a woman leader and principal secretary KN Nehru could debut under the revised campaign plan next week.