TVK has begun moving strategically in Tamil Nadu’s northern belt, aiming to attract votes from the Vanniyar community, according to party functionaries.
They said the party performed better in Chennai and its suburbs in the last Assembly election, but secured fewer seats in northern districts. In Vanniyar-concentrated districts such as Ariyalur, Villupuram and Mayiladuthurai, TVK did not win a single constituency, they claimed.
In districts including Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Tirupathur and Tiruvannamalai, the party managed only one seat each, while the PMK–AIADMK alliance won 32 seats across these areas, they said. They attributed TVK’s limited reach to its earlier focus on Dalit votes with B.R. Ambedkar positioned as the party’s ideological leader.
After the election, VCK joined hands with TVK, and functionaries said this could further complicate efforts to draw Vanniyar support in the north. In response, TVK has launched a plan dubbed ‘Operation North’, appointing party general secretary Anand as the in-charge for Cuddalore and Villupuram to bring Vanniyar community leaders into the party.
They added that weakening PMK’s dominance in the region is seen as essential for TVK’s growth, and outreach to key PMK functionaries in districts such as Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupathur and Tiruvannamalai has begun. They also said TVK chief Vijay has so far avoided criticising PMK leader Anbumani, and is expected to visit districts including Dharmapuri and Cuddalore after his Karur and Delhi trips to announce new initiatives, with an eye on the 2029 Lok Sabha election.
