In the wake of the devastating stampede during a party rally in Karur last month, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-politician Vijay, is planning to create a dedicated volunteer force to prevent such incidents in future, reports said on Tuesday.
The party is also planning to nurture a fresh tier of second-rung leadership to strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, according to a report by the IANS news agency.
Vijay and the TVK leadership are under fire for “gross mismanagement” and “poor crowd control” after the stampede, which killed 41 people and left over 100 others injured on September 27.
The mishap occurred after the crowd swelled beyond expectation and surged uncontrollably upon the actor's arrival. Police have already arrested TVK Karur district secretary Mathiyazhagan for his alleged failure to enforce safety measures and control the crowd.
According to the report, the TVK is now planning to form a special force of trained cadres, similar to those maintained by other mainstream parties, such as the DMK and the AIADMK. This force will be in charge of crowd regulation, security, and emergency response at TVK events across Tamil Nadu.
The report also claimed that Vijay is preparing an overhaul of the party by nurturing a new second-line leadership. He is personally overseeing the shortlisting of leaders who have prior political experience in other parties.
The move is reportedly aimed at filling the void created after the stampede with many top office-bearers, including general secretary Bussy Anand and election division management secretary Aadhav Arjun, staying away from active roles.
Vijay is hoping to play a major role in the 2026 assembly elections, presenting the party as a formidable alternative to the two Dravidian forces—DMK and AIADMK.
