Chennai: In the wake of the devastating stampede at his September 27th campaign rally in Karur that claimed 41 lives, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay is reportedly planning a visit to the district to meet the victims’ families. This comes as the actor-politician announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for each of the families of the deceased, even as the tragedy casts a long shadow over his party’s campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The planned visit follows an urgent consultation meeting held in Chennai on September 28th between Vijay, General Secretary N. Anand, and other party administrators to discuss the aftermath of the incident and the party’s next steps. While no official announcement has been made, it is reported that TVK executives have already filed a petition with the local police seeking permission for Vijay’s visit to personally console the families and distribute the compensation, with the journey expected to take place in a day or two.
A Campaign Marred by Crowd Chaos and Tragedy
The Karur tragedy occurred against a backdrop of unprecedented public turnout and late arrival of Vijay to the campaign site. Since launching its campaign on September 13th, Vijay’s tours across districts like Trichy, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur have been marked by massive, often unruly crowds, forcing the party to scale back its initial plan of visiting three districts per day.
The immense public enthusiasm, however, also revealed critical problems. The gatherings have consistently caused severe traffic congestion and disrupted schedules. Furthermore, Vijay himself had previously voiced frustrations about the venue selection process, telling a crowd in Nagapattinam, “The police do not grant permission to the places requested by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam; they grant permission only in narrow places.”
This issue came to a head in Karur’s Veluchamipuram area. While Vijay was speaking, a stampede broke out among the thousands of attendees who had been waiting for hours, leading to the catastrophic loss of life. The incident prompted immediate political responses, with Chief Minister MK Stalin, visiting the district to pay respects and console the grieving families, even as the state grapples with the fallout of one of its worst political rally disasters.