CHENNAI: In its first special general council meeting after the Karur stampede, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Wednesday made it clear that the party will fight the 2026 Assembly election with president Vijay as its chief ministerial candidate and declared that it will be a direct contest between the TVK and the DMK.
The announcement, for now, closes the door on a possible alliance with the AIADMK and BJP, and comes as a rebuff to the open overtures made by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. A resolution passed at the meeting held in Mahabalipuram vested leader Vijay with full authority to take decision on poll alliances.
A total of 12 resolutions on issues, including the recurring arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan navy, protection of natural resources, women’s safety, particularly justice for the Coimbatore gangrape survivor, and against SIR of electoral rolls were adopted at the meeting. The general council also passed a resolution urging the Tamil Nadu government to provide security ‘without any bias’ to public meetings of the party to ensure the safety of Vijay and the general public.
Speaking at the meeting about the Karur tragedy, Vijay said, “We have been through indescribable pain and anguish. During such a period, it was our duty to remain by the side of our people. That is why I stayed silent all this while.” He added that even as the party maintained restraint, “political traps and baseless allegations” were being spread against him and his party.
DMK govt formed probe panel hastily, claims Vijay
Vijay also hit out at Stalin stating that the CM who claimed he did not wish to politicise the Karur stampede, levelled various allegations against the party in the Assembly. Vijay also criticised the government for its “hasty decision to form a one-member probe panel” and the “unusual press meet” convened by senior bureaucrats and cops soon after the incident.
“Such actions raise serious doubts about the fairness of the probe,” he said, citing SC remarks, which he said, strongly criticised the state government for its handling of the issue.
A resolution passed at the meeting on the Karur tragedy also raised doubts as to whether the large-scale security lapse and ‘artificial commotion’ came from the frustration that Vijay had caused to those in power due to his popularity. During his 14-minute speech, Vijay did not take the names of the AIADMK or the BJP.
The party accused the DMK of using its IT wing to attack TVK’s top functionaries. A resolution also stated that opposition party leaders who point out DMK’s lapses ‘truthfully and with evidence’ are being beaten down by unwarranted legal action.