The Tamil Nadu government has appointed K Venkata Narayana, chairman of the KVN Group and producer of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's upcoming film Jana Nayagan, as the state's Special Representative in New Delhi for a period of one year. The appointment, which carries Cabinet Minister rank, has triggered political criticism from the Opposition over Narayana's professional background and his close association with the Chief Minister.
A government order issued by Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar, on June 23, sanctioned the creation of the temporary post of Special Representative to the Government of Tamil Nadu in New Delhi for one year. The order stated that the terms and conditions of Narayana's appointment would be notified separately.
Narayana will hold the post on a temporary basis for one year from the date he assumes charge. He is the chairman of the Bengaluru-based KVN Group and heads KVN Productions, which is producing Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth and starring Chief Minister Vijay.
The post of Special Representative is a politically significant position responsible for strengthening coordination between the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government, following up on infrastructure, finance and development projects, and representing the state's interests before Union ministries. Conventionally, states appoint senior bureaucrats as Resident Commissioners, while Tamil Nadu has historically entrusted the Special Representative role to experienced political leaders.
The appointment has drawn attention as Narayana had accompanied Vijay during his meeting with Governor RV Arlekar in May when the TVK chief staked claim to form the government.
This is the third key appointment involving individuals closely associated with the Chief Minister after Jagadish Palaniswamy was appointed Private Secretary (Political) and Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel was briefly appointed Officer on Special Duty (Political), before the latter's appointment was revoked following criticism.
Opposition parties questioned the appointment, arguing that the position demands administrative and political experience.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson said appointing a film producer to the post could undermine its significance. He said the Special Representative serves as the link between the state and Union governments and is responsible for coordinating with Union ministries, facilitating the Chief Minister's meetings in New Delhi, conveying developments on Central policies affecting Tamil Nadu, and assisting the state's MPs during Parliament sessions. While acknowledging the government's authority to choose its representative, Wilson argued that the appointment should prioritise the state's administrative interests and alleged that selecting a film producer could diminish the office's stature.
Wilson said appointing a film producer as the state's Special Representative would "belittle" the position, adding that the role is crucial in safeguarding Tamil Nadu's rights before the Union government.
BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran criticised the appointment, alleging that appointing "a person close to Karnataka" to such a key post was against Tamil Nadu's interests. He said that it was an “unjustified and a 'great betrayal' of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
“How Tamil Nadu's interests would be safeguarded if a person from Karnataka represented the state in New Delhi,” he added.
Narayana is the chairman of KVN Group with business interests in real estate and entertainment. A former CEO of the Prestige Group, he founded KVN Productions in 2020 and the company has distributed more than 25 films while producing several multilingual projects.
The Tamil Nadu government has not officially responded to the Opposition's criticism so far.