The AIADMK, which is making efforts to tackle the perception battle that the party is lagging behind its arch rival DMK, on the social media front, is planning to have a 70,000-member-strong information technology (IT) wing in place, by the end of this month.

Right now, the work of identifying right candidates for the posts at all levels of the party — regional, district, urban local body, panchayat union and village panchayat — is going on in an “aggressive way.” District secretaries of the party have been put on the job. Some of them have even submitted the list of nominations, according to veteran leaders. The whole exercise is seen as part of the party’s preparations for the Assembly polls, slated for April-May next year.

Broad idea

As per a plan, each regional secretary will have a team of 13 persons under him. Each district unit will have 14 office-bearers. As the party is keen on having a well-oiled machinery for the IT wing in rural areas too, office-bearers are going to be appointed at the panchayat union and village panchayat levels. The broad idea is to have the presence of IT wing at the level of every electoral booth in the State, another key office-bearer explains.

Once the infrastructure is set, the members of the IT wing will have to disseminate the content that gets cleared by a panel of experts and senior leaders. Political consultant Sunil Kanugolu, who is functioning as an advisor to the party informally, will be associated with the exercise indirectly.

After the job of posting members to the IT wing is over, possibly by this month end or in a month, a training programme will be held for the workforce next month. By September end, the IT wing members will start working vigorously, the office-bearer adds.

Likewise, steps are under way to strengthen four other wings — Amma Peravai, MGR youth wing and those for young men and women, a senior leader points out.