Dalit Party VCK Announces Major Restructuring to Expand Grassroots Reach in Tamil Nadu

Chennai — The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a Dalit-focused political party in Tamil Nadu, has unveiled plans for a major organisational overhaul to bolster its presence across the state.

The party, which recently attained state-level recognition, will increase its district-level units from the existing 144 to 234. This initiative is aimed at enhancing grassroots management and ensuring better representation at the local level.

According to sources within the VCK, senior party leaders have been assigned to oversee the restructuring process. These leaders will each be responsible for three Assembly constituencies, reviewing applications and conducting interviews for key roles.

Under the revamped structure, each of the 234 Assembly constituencies will have a designated secretary, while booth-level leadership will also be reinforced. Additionally, each district committee will comprise one secretary, four deputy secretaries (with mandatory representation for women and non-Dalits), two executive committee members, and four additional members.

The party has committed to reserving 10% of district secretary roles for non-Dalits and women, alongside ensuring that 25% of all leadership positions are allocated to individuals under the age of 35.

This move is part of the VCK’s broader effort to transition from being a Dalit-centric party to a pro-poor political force representing diverse social groups. The inclusion of non-Dalit members in district committees reflects this strategic shift, which also extends to lower-level party structures.

The VCK’s inclusive approach is not new, as the party has previously fielded non-Dalits and Muslims for MLA seats. Currently, 17 district secretaries are non-Dalits, along with five Muslims and one Christian.

The VCK, a key ally of the ruling DMK, holds four seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and has two Lok Sabha MPs—party founder Thol Thirumavalavan and General Secretary D. Ravikumar—representing Chidambaram and Villupuram constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Recently, the party was embroiled in controversy following remarks by Deputy General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna. He questioned why VCK members could not aspire for Thirumavalavan to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, drawing parallels to similar ambitions among actor-turned-politicians. His comments were perceived as an indirect critique of DMK youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, causing unease within the alliance.

Though Thirumavalavan later met Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to smooth over tensions, senior VCK leaders expressed concern that such statements could harm the party’s alliance with the DMK.

(Source- IANS)