CHENNAI: Even as grassroots enthusiasm swells within the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for a full-fledged electoral foray, party president actor Vijay is understood to be shaping a markedly calibrated strategy for the forthcoming Assembly elections, one that blends organisational loyalty with political expansion.
At the heart of the plan is a 60:40 ticket-allocation formula that seeks to balance the aspirations of party workers with the electoral heft of influential non-party figures and leaders who have crossed over from rival formations.
Sources indicate that the actor-politician, who has in recent months stepped up the induction of prominent faces into the party, is keen to honour commitments made at the time of their entry.
The proposed framework, they say, is aimed at rapidly broadening TVK's social and political footprint without alienating its organisational base.
"Our party now has over 100 district units, many of them covering two or three Assembly constituencies each.
Office-bearers have been appointed in a majority of these units, and grassroots work is progressing steadily to strengthen the party's base and influence," a state-level functionary told DT Next.
While there is palpable eagerness among workers to contest the Assembly polls, the leadership has opted for a larger strategic view.
Under the plan, 60 per cent of the tickets would be reserved for long-time party functionaries, with priority accorded to district secretaries, women and minorities, reflecting an attempt to reward organisational work and social representation.
The remaining 40 per cent would be set aside for notable figures from outside the party fold, including leaders who have switched sides and other individuals perceived to have local influence, visibility and electoral appeal.
"This is how the seat allocation is likely to be structured," the functionary added, stressing that the formula is intended to maximise winnability while ensuring internal balance.
Sources further said that Vijay, along with Aadhav Arjuna, the party's general secretary in charge of election campaign management, are expected to enter the fray from Chennai, and two of the city's 16 Assembly constituencies are likely to be finalised closer to the polls.
Party general secretary N Anand, meanwhile, is tipped to contest from the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Within Chennai and select pockets elsewhere in the State, several district-level leaders are said to have received oral assurances from the leadership in recognition of their groundwork.
Names such as Ambattur Balamurugan, Pookkadai Kumar, Perambur Siva, ECR Saravanan and T Nagar Appunu figure prominently among those believed to be in contention.