At the book launch, which was also attended by TVK president Vijay, Aadhav Arjun criticized DMK’s “dynastic politics”.
After the days of VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalavan suspended the party’s deputy general secretary and election strategist Adhava Arjuna for 6 months for his remarks at the book release ceremony and Arjuna left the party on Sunday.
In a letter to the VCK President, Mr. Arjuna said he wanted to join hands with Thirumavalavan for causes like abolition of caste, social justice and ensuring political rights for common people, opposition to caste and religious majorism, subjugation. Women, and corruption, among others. “When I express my rightful anger, and when people’s interests are affected, it results in discussion. And it causes a rift between us. I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want to encourage debate around me. I want to separate from VCK completely. I want to thank you and the party workers for letting me work in the party,’ he said in the letter.
“I joined the VCK to ensure that the disenfranchised common people get power because of caste hegemony. I have no disagreement with the ideology of VCK or its political position. I have no plans other than the expansion and growth of the party in Tamil Nadu,” he added.
At the book launch, which was also attended by TVK president Vijay, Mr. Arjun criticized DMK’s “dynastic politics”. His decision to leave the party came after Mr. Thirumavalavan warned him not to make controversial statements while under suspension.
“No one can force me to withdraw from the book launch,” Mr. Thirumavalavan said, when asked if DMK Minister EV Velu had asked him to participate in the event.
The Chidambaram MP added: “I meet Mr. Velu often as we cannot meet the Chief Minister every time. I told him (Sri Arjun) about the meeting, and he might have guessed a few things. That’s his point of view. But if he wanted to continue being a member of the VCK, he had to remain silent for six months. Judging by how he keeps making statements, it looks like he has other plans. “
With Mr. Arjun’s exit, VCK’s practice of working with political strategists has come to an end. In a conversation with The Hindu on Saturday evening, Mr. Arjun, who worked as a political strategist with the DMK for the 2016, 2019 and 2021 elections, said his only disagreement with Mr. Thirumavalavan was the pace at which the party was adapting. To make a change for the development of Dalits in Tamil Nadu. “After the 2016, 2019 and 2021 election campaigns, Mr. Thirumavalavan asked me to help him restructure the party. His ambition was to make VCK the third largest party in Tamil Nadu. In December, 2022, we conducted an award ceremony, formed booth committees and appointed district secretaries. In January 2024, we organized Vellum Sananayagam public rally. Then he said it would be better to go to the party. When I worked in the field with activists, I found a lot of discrimination and poverty among Dalits. The idea was to restructure the party and campaign for power-sharing in the 2026 assembly elections,” he added.
Arguing that if there is no power-sharing agreement in the 2026 assembly elections, VCK will be weak as a party, Mr. Arjun said, “As a strategist, I think that no one will get a majority in the 2026 assembly elections. AIADMK and BJP are contesting elections separately. VCK will have a chance to share power. When I made that statement, DMK leader A. Raja said that VCK should take action against me. Those within the VCK who were in favor of the DMK, started working against me. I was targeted by DMK.
“VCK’s basic vote is Dalit vote. The Scheduled Caste population is 1.40 crore, of which the Adi Dravidar community is around 9.2 lakh. There are about 50 lakh to 60 lakh voters who can be consolidated for VCK. The DMK has given six seats to the party, but is getting its (VCK’s) votes in about 52 assembly seats. VCK’s vote share is very large. No one can win on their own – be it DMK or AIADMK,” he said.
Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu are sharing power with their allies, power should be shared in Tamil Nadu too,” he added.
published – Dec 16, 2024 at 04:06 pm IST