Chennai: Despite a minor hitch in the form of a 100 feet flag mast tumbling down, the preparations for the second State conference of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on Thursday were going on in full swing at a 500 acre empty ground at Parapathi near Madurai with party cadre from all over the State all set to be there and listen to president Vijay who is expected to deliver a rousing speech.Though the premises was bustling with visitors and media persons on Wednesday itself, the flag mast that came down crashing damaged only a parked car. Vijay and all the top honchos of the party had already reached Madurai, apart from many cadre.Vijay, who has touted the idea of a ‘conscience democracy’ as the defining principle of his party, has invoked political memories of 1967 and 1977 by putting up portraits of C N Annadurai and M G Ramachandran at the conference venue.The message that he seeks to send across to the people was that 2026 would see a change under his leadership on the lines of the DMK coming to power in 1967 under Annadurai and the AIADMK defeating the DMK and capturing power in 1977 with MGR at the helm.Scheduled to start at around 3.30 pm, the conference, the second grand event after the launch meeting at Vikravandi on October 27, 2024, will go on till 7.30 pm. Vijay had already exhorted school students to not bunk classes and attend the meeting and senior citizens, differently abled and pregnant women to watch the proceedings on television.However, the organisers were expecting a crowd of 1.5 lakh, for whom seating arrangements have been made at the venue. It is said that some contractor engaged to supply chairs reneged at the last moment and the organisers managed to arrange for them from Kerala.A massive stage and a ramp has been erected at the venue and Vijay is expected to move into the crowd before addressing them. The event is expected to start with folk art performances like Karakattam, Oyilattam and Silambam.Since the flag hoisting ceremony was organized at a major event of the day, it is not clear if the party would still go for the 100 feet tall flag mast or settle for a shorter one.Meanwhile the police have made elaborate arrangements for regulating traffic before and after the conference by working out diversions to avoid clogging on the various highways leading to Madurai. Nearly 3,000 police personnel are set to be deployed for the job.
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