VCK for Dalit consolidation before run up to 2024 LS polls

Chennai, April 19 (IANS) Political party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) is in for a consolidation of the Dalit vote bank in Tamil Nadu before the run up to to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The VCK is the most powerful Dalit political outfit in the state and its founder leader Thol Thirumavalavan has emerged as the tallest Dalit leader in Tamil Nadu.

The outfit is capitalising on this factor and is in the process of developing party units centred around Dalit habitats and colonies in the state.

The VCK, which had emerged by fighting against casteist forces in the past, has given the Dalits a semblance of respect in the society, and sources told IANS that the party is in the process of expanding its support base in the state.

The VCK is presently in an alliance with the ruling DMK and has two Lok Sabha MPs. It is likely to ask for more seats from the DMK-led secular progressive alliance in the 2024 elections.

A senior party leader told IANS: "The VCK will be posting full time workers in assembly constituencies that we will be zeroing in on for adding new voters and cutting double entries and the votes of those who have left the place as well as those who have died. This is a basic work in election and our local leaders are well adept in this, but a coordinator is posted so that there won't be any missing and will complete the work in a time frame."

The VCK, according to its senior leaders, is also planning to have a coordination meeting with other Dalit social organisations, including the Ambedkar Movement.

The VCK had in between initiated a discussion with the AIADMK when the latter and the Tamil Nadu BJP were at logger heads over statements of the saffron party's state president, K. Annamalai.

Sources in VCK told IANS that if the AIADMK breaks its ties with the BJP, the party will automatically join any front led by the AIADMK.

The added that the PMK, the Vanniyar political party, has initiated discussions with the DMK after it broke the AIADMK alliance.

The Vanniyar community has been at loggerheads with the Dalit movements and the VCK does not want to be seen holding hands with a political party that was an anathema to the Dalit cause, the sources added.

With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections nearing, the decision taken by the VCK will have an impact that can affect the results in several constituencies of Tamil Nadu.

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