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The activities of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which remained suspended for nearly a month after 41 people died in a stampede at his rally in Karur on September 27, are likely to resume with revised outreach strategies after he meets the families of the victims at a private facility in Mamallapuram on Monday.
Though Mr. Vijay has continued to remain elusive to journalists, earlier, he had issued statements on certain issues concerning Tamil Nadu. He also took up local-level issues and flagged them during the initial phase of his campaign tour, which covered Tiruchi, Perambalur, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur districts. However, since the Karur tragedy, there has been a noticeable silence from the party’s leadership. In the last four weeks, both Mr. Vijay and second-rung leaders have refrained from responding to key developments in the State, including the impact of the northeast monsoon and reported delays in paddy procurement.
Mark of “mourning”
Party sources said the decision to suspend activities was taken as a mark of “mourning” for those who died in the stampede. However, district-level functionaries continued to engage with local issues even as the core leadership kept a low profile. The suspension of activities had also created a considerable communication gap within the party, prompting a section of TVK supporters on social media, whom Mr. Vijay had earlier referred to as “virtual warriors”, to sharply voice their opinions about the functioning of the party and its second-rung leadership.
Sources said they expect party activities to gain momentum after Mr. Vijay’s meeting with the families of the Karur stampede victims. Before the hiatus, he travelled in a customised caravan between two campaign points, attracting massive crowds along the way. With safety concerns now in focus, the party is likely to revisit its campaign strategy and consider alternative outreach formats.
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