TVK Chief Vijay has appointed 15 new Deputy General Secretaries, a move that includes 11 former ministers from the AIADMK party. This decision is viewed as an effort to engage with AIADMK leaders and their supporters, signaling a strategic outreach within the political landscape.
Announcing the appointments, Vijay said the new functionaries would take up their responsibilities along with existing office-bearers, and sought the cooperation of party cadres.
The appointments were announced amid the bypolls, in which AIADMK MLAs who defected to the TVK are contesting. The move comes amid a steady influx of AIADMK leaders into the TVK. Six AIADMK MLAs have resigned and joined the ruling party within months of the Assembly election. TVK has fielded the same former AIADMK lawmakers who resigned and joined the party, triggering opposition allegations of horse-trading, a charge the ruling party has rubbished. Vijay had defended the switches while campaigning in Madurantakam, saying the AIADMK’s attempt to ally with the DMK and form the government had caused anguish among followers of MGR and Jayalalithaa. “TVK did not poach AIADMK MLAs.
Two of the resulting vacancies — Madurantakam and Dharapuram — are being contested in bypolls on October 6. From the beginning of the 2026 campaign, Vijay had projected the electoral battle primarily as one between the TVK and DMK.
Announcing the appointments, Vijay said the new functionaries would take up their responsibilities along with existing office-bearers, and sought the cooperation of party cadres. “I request the party cadres to extend their full cooperation to the new office-bearers,” Vijay said. They resigned on their own and joined TVK,” he said, adding that the MLAs believed there was no future for them in the AIADMK under EPS’s leadership and did not want to wait five years. Sathya Kumar also said the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP had gone against the wishes of the party and contributed to its electoral defeat. Earlier reporting noted: Congratulating the new appointees, Vijay said they would work alongside the functionaries appointed earlier to carry out the party’s constructive activities in accordance with his directions and advice, and under the guidance of general secretary N Anand. “The party cadres should extend full support to these functionaries,” Vijay said.
