VCK to elevate non-Dalit MLAs in key party roles as 2026 TN Assembly polls near

Chennai, July 9 (IANS) In a significant move aimed at broadening its social base and countering perceptions of being a Dalit-only party, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) is set to elevate two of its non-Dalit legislators to key organisational posts.

Nagapattinam MLA Aloor J. Mohamed Shanavas, a Muslim and current deputy general secretary, is expected to be promoted as one of the party’s general secretaries. This move will fill a long-vacant slot specifically reserved for a non-Dalit in accordance with the party’s by-laws. The post has remained unoccupied since former general secretary Kalaikottu Udhayam left the VCK to join the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

Thiruporur MLA S.S. Balaji, a non-Dalit, is likely to be appointed as the party’s treasurer. The position has been lying vacant since the demise of former treasurer Yusuf.

Both appointments are expected to be announced ahead of the party’s internal elections, signalling a deliberate effort by the leadership to promote inclusivity and representation of diverse social groups.

Party insiders view these elevations as a strategic step to enhance VCK’s appeal among religious minorities, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and other non-Dalit communities. The leadership believes that widening the social representation at the top will strengthen the party’s political positioning in Tamil Nadu’s complex caste and community matrix.

These changes are part of a broader internal restructuring exercise being undertaken by the VCK. The party has expanded its district units from 144 to 234, aligning them with the number of Assembly constituencies in the state.

To oversee this expansion, the party has appointed 83 senior functionaries tasked with forming new district-level teams. Each district unit will now comprise a district secretary, four deputy secretaries (including one woman and one non-Dalit), two executive members, and four additional office-bearers.

The party has also mandated that 10 per cent of district secretary posts be reserved for women and non-Dalits, while 25 per cent will be allocated to youth under the age of 35.

With four MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the VCK’s latest organisational shake-up is being seen as a clear attempt to position itself as a more inclusive and politically versatile force ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

--IANS

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