The second state conference of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor Vijay was held in Parapathi, Madurai, amid much fanfare and heavy mobilisation of cadres. Thousands of vehicles arrived from across Tamil Nadu to the venue, and local liquor shops saw an unusual rush linked directly to the event.
Reporters on the ground noted that while TVK leader Vijay has consistently spoken against liquor consumption, his own cadres were spotted in large numbers at TASMAC outlets in Madurai and Virudhunagar districts. In Aviyur village near Virudhunagar, more than 50 youths wearing T-shirts and flags associated with Vijay’s films and the TVK party were seen queuing outside a government-run liquor shop for over an hour.
Officials had initially announced a one-day closure of TASMAC outlets in Madurai and Virudhunagar for the day of the TVK conference, but the order was later withdrawn. As a result, multiple outlets witnessed surging crowds of TVK volunteers both before and after the event.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of cadres standing in long lines with party-coloured attire, waiting to purchase liquor at the very time the conference was getting underway. Reporters said the images came as an embarrassment to TVK administrators, who had projected the event as a moral and political awakening under Vijay’s leadership.
The episode immediately drew comparisons to the behaviour of DMK “oopi” cadres, who are often criticised for crowding TASMAC shops during party events and public holidays. Observers pointed out that despite Vijay’s public opposition to “temporary pleasures”, his cadres appeared to have followed the same path, undermining the image TVK has tried to build as a reformist force in Tamil Nadu politics.
The contrasting reality, a leader denouncing liquor while volunteers flaunted loyalty at TASMAC counters has left many questioning whether TVK is any different from the established Dravidian outfits it claims to challenge.
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