Former Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) vice president Aadhav Arjuna has joined actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on January 31. He will be taking over as general secretary for election campaign management, TVK announced.
Arjuna was suspended by the VCK on December 9 last year, alleging defiance to the party, following a controversy over the launch of the book on Dr BR Ambedkar. The event led to a fissure between VCK and its ally the DMK.
Earlier in the day, on January 31, news media visuals from outside Vijay’s MRC Nagar home in Chennai, showed Arjuna exiting the building wearing a TVK scarf. He could also be seen greeting press members before boarding his vehicle, but did not speak to them.
In 2024 December, Arjuna’s political strategy firm Voice of Commons and the Tamil magazine Vikatan launched the book Elorukkumaana Thalaivar Ambedkar (Ambedkar: A Leader for All). At the time, Arjuna had been the VCK’s vice president. The book became the centre of massive political controversy.
Earlier the same year, it had appeared as if both Vijay and VCK president and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan would attend the launch. Further, an interview with Thirumavalavan is a chapter in the book.
However, Vijay’s repeated criticism of VCK’s ally, the ruling-DMK had made it increasingly doubtful if Thirumavalavan would share a stage with Vijay. TNM had reported at the time that there had been strong pressure from the DMK on Thirumavalavan to skip the event. The VCK chief clarified on December 6–the morning of the launch—that he would not be in attendance.
The date had been chosen to coincide with Ambedkar’s death anniversary. The absence of the leader of the state’s biggest Dalit-led political party triggered widespread controversy. Further, both Vijay and Arjuna launched scathing attacks on the DMK, accusing them of failing to share power with their allies including the VCK and of encouraging dynastic politics. Vijay had also criticised the slow progress of the investigation into the Vengaivayal (in Pudhukottai) case in which human faeces had been mixed into a drinking water tank used by Dalits.
Their speeches fanned speculations about a rift between the VCK and DMK. Several public disagreements between the two allies such as over power-sharing or liquor abolishment had already led to similar speculations regarding the two allies in 2024.
Following his suspension from the party for a period of six months, Arjuna quit the party on December 16. In his resignation letter to Thirumavalavan, Arjuna said that he had decided to disassociate himself from the VCK in order to “avoid unnecessary discussions” about him in the public sphere.
Meanwhile, former AIADMK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar has also joined TVK. He will be taking over as general secretary for IT and social media management, the party said.