CHENNAI: Amid growing discontent among TVK cadre over lack of communication from the top leadership, party president and actor Vijay has decided to introduce a zonal-level structure to strengthen coordination within the party. According to sources, the state has been divided into 10 zones, with plans to appoint zonal secretaries or in-charges for each zone to ensure better communication between the leadership and grassroots workers. The move comes close on the heels of the 28-member state-level coordination committee announced on Tuesday. Party insiders said further organisational changes are also on the cards.
A shortlist of potential candidates to head the zonal committees is being prepared, and senior functionaries, including district secretaries and those who were overlooked in earlier appointments, are said to be vying for these key roles. The official announcement is expected in the coming days, sources added.
The restructuring follows a period of uncertainty within the party after the Karur stampede during Vijay’s rally. Many district-level functionaries said they had received no official communication or direction from the leadership on resuming party activities or handling the fallout from the tragedy until Vijay decided to meet families of the victims in Mahabalipuram last week.
“We received no calls or messages from the top, except a voice note from Vijay asking us to remain silent on the issue,” said a district-level functionary. Several others said they had stayed away from public events after repeated, unsuccessful attempts to reach senior leaders for guidance. “At the grassroots level, cadre and IT wing members are clueless about how to manage public sentiment or respond on social media. We are being blamed everywhere, but there’s no guidance from above,” said another office-bearer. Several supporters had proposed that second-tier leaders be made responsible for addressing district-level grievances and that a new committee, excluding general secretary N Anand, be formed to directly coordinate between district secretaries and the party chief.