A social media post by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) newly appointed chief coordinator, KA Sengottaiyan, has ignited a significant internal discussion within the party ranks. The controversy stemmed from his first post on platform X after formally joining the party, which featured an image of the late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
The Controversial Post and Swift Backlash
On Wednesday, Sengottaiyan posted a greeting for the festival of Karthigai Deepam. The message itself was routine, but its visual accompaniment—a portrait of Jayalalithaa alongside former chief ministers C N Annadurai and M G Ramachandran—proved to be contentious. A section of the TVK cadres quickly raised objections on the platform, questioning the inclusion of Jayalalithaa's image.
The cadres pointed out a critical party stance: while TVK president Vijay has publicly praised and eulogized the legacies of Annadurai (Anna) and MGR, he has not extended the same recognition to Jayalalithaa. Therefore, they argued, it was inappropriate to place her portrait on equal footing with the other two revered leaders. Facing this barrage of criticism from within, Sengottaiyan deleted the post just hours after it had gone live.
A Mysterious Repost and Sengottaiyan's Stance
However, the story took another turn on Thursday when Sengottaiyan reposted the exact same Karthigai Deepam greeting with the identical set of portraits. He offered no public explanation for either the initial deletion or the subsequent reposting, deepening the mystery around the episode.
This incident is not the first time Sengottaiyan's association with Jayalalithaa's imagery has been noted. Earlier, when asked by reporters about carrying a photo of Jayalalithaa in his shirt pocket, he defended the action by stating that in a democratic space, anyone is free to carry any picture they choose. His personal social media pages and office banners consistently display the trio of Annadurai, MGR, and Jayalalithaa, indicating a personal political homage that now clashes with some party cadres' perceptions.
Party Business Amidst the Controversy
Parallel to this social media storm, Sengottaiyan was actively engaged in official TVK organizational work. He participated in his first consultation meeting with other party functionaries at the TVK coordination centre in Chennai's Teynampet area. The agenda was packed with strategic planning.
The discussion covered President Vijay's recent public meeting in Puducherry, his upcoming events across Tamil Nadu, the crucial Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SIR) program, and the appointment process for vacant district secretary posts.
A TVK functionary revealed that the leadership also reviewed ambitious plans for statewide special training sessions for booth committee members. Under the theme ‘My Booth-TVK Booth', these camps are scheduled for November 6 and 7. District secretaries have been instructed to ensure the attendance of all ward, branch, and unit-level office-bearers along with booth committee members. The training curriculum is designed to cover:
- Their specific roles and responsibilities.
- Strategies for membership enrolment.
- Tasks related to the SIR initiative.
This internal debate over historical political icons highlights the nuanced challenges TVK faces as it carves its identity in the competitive landscape of Tamil Nadu politics, balancing respect for past legacies with its own distinct future path.
