Tamil Nadu Election: Stampede Survivors Vote Amid Unanswered Questions

Velusamypuram, a village on the outskirts of Karur, witnessed brisk polling on Thursday (April 23, 2026) as voters cast their ballots in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. This comes nearly seven months after a deadly stampede during a political rally here killed 41 people, including nine children.

The stampede occurred on September 27, 2025, during a rally addressed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay. The tragedy, one of the deadliest in Indian political history, occurred after the crowd swelled while waiting for Mr. Vijay, who arrived hours late. The incident left the nation in shock and raised many questions that remain unanswered.

For V. Vimal, a 26-year-old resident who lost his 18-month-old son Guru Vishnu in the stampede, the pain is still fresh. He initially refused to vote but was persuaded by friends to cast his ballot at the Panchayat Union Middle School near the site of the tragedy. "Almost seven months have gone since the tragedy occurred. But the truth has not yet come out. I do not want to point the finger at anyone as I am eagerly waiting for the outcome of the investigation. I would have voted happily had the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, cracked it," Vimal said.

Despite the tragedy, voter turnout remained high. By 2 p.m., booth number 15 at the school reported 81.31% polling, with 518 out of 637 electors casting their votes. Nearly four hours of polling remained, indicating that the incident had not dampened electoral enthusiasm.

The Karur constituency is contested by TVK candidate V.P. Mathiazhagan, who is one of the accused in the stampede case, alongside M. Thiyagarajan of the DMK and former Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar of the AIADMK. The stampede has not emerged as a major poll issue, though it has been referenced occasionally by platform speakers.

Another resident, A. Sudhakar, 28, said, "It [the stampede] should not have happened. Blame game was on for quite some time. But we are not sure of the reasons and those responsible for it. Hence, I thought that it should not influence how I should vote. I voted on the basis of other factors. It seems it has not influenced the others too."

The CBI continues to investigate the stampede, with the Supreme Court recently agreeing to hear a DMK plea seeking to prevent TVK leaders from influencing material witnesses. As the election proceeds, the community remains divided between seeking justice and moving forward with their democratic duty.