Post-Karur tragedy: Vijay's TVK plans major overhaul focusing on event safety and leadership

Chennai: In the aftermath of the tragic TVK rally stampede in Karur, Tamil Nadu, which killed 41 people and injured over 100 on September 27, party president and actor Vijay is preparing a major overhaul of the organisation, with a focus on improving event safety.

Party insiders say Vijay is working on a comprehensive restructuring plan that includes the creation of a dedicated volunteer force and the nurturing of a new tier of second-line leadership to strengthen the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Eyewitnesses described the Karur disaster as the result of “gross mismanagement” and inadequate crowd control. The rally venue, designed for 2,000–3,000 people, saw nearly 30,000 supporters gather, and chaos erupted when Vijay climbed onto his campaign vehicle to greet the crowd.

The stampede highlighted serious lapses in safety protocols, leaving the party under public scrutiny and facing potential legal challenges. Learning from the incident, Vijay plans to establish a trained volunteer force, modelled on those maintained by major Dravidian parties such as DMK, AIADMK, MDMK, and DMDK, to manage crowd control, security, and emergency response at TVK events across Tamil Nadu. Training sessions and workshops for this force are expected to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, TVK is dealing with a leadership vacuum, as several top office-bearers, including General Secretary Bussy Anand and Election Division Management Secretary Aadhav Arjun, have stepped back from active roles following the stampede and ensuing legal proceedings.

To fill this gap, Vijay is personally shortlisting second-rung leaders, many with prior political experience in other parties, who will form the party’s new backbone. Once announced, these leaders will tour the state, strengthen local organisations, guide cadres, and oversee election preparedness.

Party sources indicate that the rollout of the new leadership will be followed by the official launch of the volunteer force, accompanied by statewide training programmes. Vijay aims to restore supporter confidence and position TVK as a disciplined, battle-ready political outfit while addressing the safety concerns exposed by the Karur tragedy.

IANS