‘AIADMK leaders have let down MGR and Jayalalithaa,’ says Vijay's aide as TVK gears up for Madurai conference

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections just a few months away, actor Vijay and his fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) are gearing up for a big show in Madurai. The party’s second state conference is scheduled to be held at Koodakovil near Thirumangalam on August 21, when Vijay is expected to talk about the party's roadmap for the upcoming election. 

 

In a letter to the party cadres on Monday, Vijay declared that the 2026 assembly polls will mark a turning point in Tamil Nadu’s political history and bring a change in the state. Likening the upcoming poll battle to the historic 1967 and 1977 elections, which saw a change in the state’s polity with the toppling of the mighty incumbents, Vijay said that TVK will emerge as a formidable force in the state. In 1967, Annadurai made history by overthrowing the Congress, while in 1977, MGR unseated the DMK regime and continued to dominate the state's political scene. 

 

In a free-wheeling interview to THE WEEK, K.G. Arun Raj, TVK’s propaganda general secretary, outlines the party's agenda for the second state conference and also Vijay's stand on social justice, secularism and the ideals floated by Periyar. A former IRS officer, Arun Raj had spearheaded a few high-profile Income Tax searches in the state between 2017 and 2021, bringing VVIPs like Shekhar Reddy, V.K. Sasikala and many others under the IT radar. These searches and investigations led to changes in the political equations in the state. Edited excerpts:

 

What are your expectations about the second state conference in Madurai? Do you think it will be a turning point in TN politics, and why?

 

The first state conference at Vikravandi last year was an ideological festival (Kolgai Thiruvizha). When people were wondering what an actor would know about politics, the conference clearly established that our leader, Mr Vijay, is not just an actor but an ideologically grounded people’s leader. He answered all his critics by establishing that he understands the politics of the soil and that he strongly stands for social justice, inclusive growth and state autonomy. With the tagline of “ Pirapokkum ella Uyirkum”, TVK’s core ideology of “secular social justice” has been reverberating across the nook and corner of the state, and it is not an exaggeration to state that it has captured the imagination of every common man. After the huge success of the first state conference, TVK has now emerged as a principal political force of Tamil Nadu. Various studies/ surveys are currently giving TVK a vote share, not less than 25 %, which denotes only one thing: there is a silent wave in favour of TVK. 

 

It is in this background that the second state conference is being held in Madurai on August 21. While the first conference was an ideological festival, this conference will be a political festival, and this will create ripples across not just Tamil Nadu but the entire country. This will mark the beginning of the end of the DMK rule and will culminate in regime change in the 2026 elections.  

 

 

There are several political parties in the country and in TN which speak of social justice, Dravidam and follow Periyar's ideals. How different is TVK from these existing political parties in terms of ideology?

 

Secularism, social justice, inclusive growth etc are universal values and no party can claim ownership or proprietorship over the same. I agree that other parties also claim to follow the same ideology, but the key question is whether they follow the same in practice. DMK, which claims to follow Periyar’s ideology, has miserably failed in the social justice sphere. Caste atrocities and crimes against SCs have increased during the current regime; the real culprits have still not been identified in the Vengaivayal incident. Also, DMK has sacrificed the state’s interests on the altar of the Union government just to safeguard the crown prince and other corrupt ministers from the clutches of the Union law enforcement agencies.

 

If there is one party which will uncompromisingly stand for social justice and state’s rights, it is TVK. TVK has no baggage and hence nothing to fear. The coming days will establish that our leader is the true ideological grandson of Thanthai Periyar.  

 

So, you think any political party, be it an existing one or a fledgling party like the TVK, cannot afford to ignore the ideals or the path laid by Periyar in TN?

 

The very name of Periyar is synonymous with social justice, state’s rights and women's empowerment. The fact that Tamil Nadu is one state where the BJP/RSS ideology has still not been able to find any penetration is primarily due to the “ideological character of the state,” which was shaped by many leaders, the tallest among them being Thanthai Periyar.  In fact, Periyar’s ideals are more relevant now than ever before, given the fascist regimes in which we are presently in. Hence, no party can afford to neglect Periyar and his ideologies. 

 

You were a civil service officer who was very aware of the government system and administration. In such a sense, what change do you think Vijay can bring in terms of administration and in the government system?

 

As you highlight, the whole system needs reform. It has reached such a stage that there is a systemic malaise which transcends individual politicians, bureaucrats and officials. The primary problem lies in the intention. There is no real intention to serve the people, and the primary interest of most of the current lot of politicians is only in enriching themselves and their families. This is due to the political system prevailing currently, which is centred around money/cash for votes. If a person spends 40-50 crores to win an election, it is only natural that he/she will try to earn not just the cost of the previous election but also for the future elections. It is like catching a tiger’s tail—you can't afford to leave the practice for fear of political oblivion.

 

If this system has to be changed, there needs to be a new beginning; a beginning which gives hope, courage and conviction to the people. This is where our leader, Mr Vijay, and the TVK are relevant. Once people get convinced that there is an alternate path to politics and governance, they will start rallying en masse behind our leader, a phenomenon which has already started. 

 

You are loud and vociferous against corruption. You were part of or even led some of the high-profile raids in TN between 2017 and 2021. What was the fallout of those raids? Were those searches followed by severe action against the corrupt?

 

In all those cases, assessment orders have been passed and demands raised. Also, penalty proceedings have been initiated. I understand that the assessees have preferred appeal and they are in various stages of appeal.

 

Do you see yourself as the next Annamalai in TN politics?

 

Though Annamalai was my civil service colleague, we both have different ideologies, world views and general approaches. I believe in process, and when that is correct, the results will come automatically.  I am very happy about being myself, and I will continue to be the same.

 

Is the TVK trying to embrace and usurp MGR from the AIADMK? I am asking this in the context of Vijay's recent speeches and statements, saying he will bring in a change like in 1967 and 1977.

 

Both the 1967 and 1977 elections were significant since the traditional ruling establishments of those days were democratically overthrown by new forces. In that sense, our leader stated that a similar history would repeat in 2026. Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR is an icon of the state, and he belongs to the entire state. More than trying to usurp Dr MGR, it would be more apt to say that the current AIADMK leaders have let down not only MGR but also Amma Dr J.Jayalalitha by succumbing to the BJP and aligning with communal forces. This happened because of their own vulnerabilities.

 

What is your take on Congress's fight against SIR? Will you support the allegation that the BJP has indulged in 'vote chori' and the ECI is hand in glove with the BJP?

 

The allegations over SIR and 'Vote Chori' are very serious and they threaten the very foundations of our democracy. Our leader was among the first to voice against SIR. ECI is one of the most important institutions of our country that is tasked with the job of conducting free and fair elections. The Election Commissioners should derive authority from our Constitution and not from the Union government of the day. It is in this regard that our leader has strongly stated that Election Commissioners have to be chosen by consensus and not solely by the ruling dispensation. As long as that doesn't happen, one cannot help but get the feeling that the ECI is not fair and just towards all the political parties. We shall explore all legal options to safeguard the democratic process of the country. 

 

The DMK in TN has been urging for bringing back education from the concurrent list to the state list. What is your take on this? And will the TVK fight for this like the DMK?

 

TVK will not fight against NEET as DMK did. DMK used NEET as an election tool to fool the people, which we all know. TVK will sincerely and genuinely fight for protecting the state’s rights, including NEET abolition. Our leader has clearly stated that education should be brought to the state list only, which will ensure that our genuine interests are protected in the long term. Further, our leader has also suggested an interim measure whereby education, including medical education, is placed under a “ Special Concurrent List” where the State’s laws will prevail over Union law in case of any conflict.

 

What do you mean by a special concurrent list? Do you think there is such a provision in the Constitution?

 

As an interim measure, the Constitution may be amended to create a special concurrent list where both the Union and states have jurisdiction. But when there is a conflict, the state's law will prevail. In the present concurrent list, when there is a conflict between a central law and a state law, the former will prevail. TVK advocates that education, including technical education, be placed in such a special concurrent list as an interim measure before they are permanently shifted to the state list.

 

Seeman also talks about the same ideologies as TVK. He opposes the BJP and the DMK. What do you have to say?

 

It's not appropriate to compare our leader with Seeman. Our leader is universal, transcending caste, language or religion. He is a global icon, but at the same time is grounded, matured and humble.

 

Where do you see Vijay as a politician in the next one decade?

 

Our leader, in his very first statement on February 2, 2024, clearly stated that politics is his passion and that it will be his life. He gives his 100 per cent with full sincerity, dedication and hard work. That’s his biggest strength. Given the huge popular support for our leader and TVK, we are sure that we will form the government in 2026. Given our leader’s vision for providing a clean, transparent and accountable government, our support will only grow further. I am pretty sure TVK will also win big time in the next Parliamentary elections, and our leader will be an unstoppable force at the national level too. 

India