Erode (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 18 (ANI): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Thursday will hold its first public meeting in Tamil Nadu following the Karur stampede incident, with actor and party founder
Vijay addressing supporters at the Moongilpalayam Meeting Ground in Erode. This marked Vijay’s first public appearance since the incident, drawing significant political and public attention. The meeting assumed added importance due to the recent induction of senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan into TVK. A former AIADMK minister and long-time party stalwart, Sengottaiyan was dismissed from the AIADMK before resigning from his MLA post and formally joining TVK in late November 2025. Following his entry, Sengottaiyan was appointed Chief Coordinator of TVK’s high-level executive committee, a key organisational role tasked with shaping the party’s political strategy under Vijay’s leadership. He was also named Organising Secretary for the western districts of Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Nilgiris, regions where he is considered to have strong grassroots influence built over decades in public life. Sengottaiyan’s first public meeting, as a representative of a non-Dravidian party, marked a significant political shift in his career. Party sources said that his inclusion strengthens TVK’s organisational structure, particularly in western Tamil Nadu, ahead of future electoral challenges. On September 27, at least 41 people lost their lives, and 110 others were injured in a stampede that occurred during a public meeting of the TVK party in Karur, which was attended by the party chief, Vijay. In response to the tragedy, the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI investigation to determine the cause of the incident and identify those responsible. The Court had also ordered a three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe and ensure that the investigation into the tragedy is independent and impartial. The ruling had come on TVK’s plea seeking an impartial probe into the tragic event. (ANI)
