Sundeep Anand, son of senior DMK leader and Arakkonam MP Jagathrakshakan, joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday at the party’s headquarters in Panaiyur, marking a significant political development amid the party’s ongoing membership drive, as reported in Hindu Tamil.
He was inducted into the party in the presence of TVK General Secretary N. Anand during the weekly induction programme held at the Panaiyur headquarters.
Sandeep Anand’s entry is being viewed as a notable setback for the DMK, given his father’s long-standing association with the party. However, his decision is understood to be a personal political choice, and there has been no indication that Jagathrakshakan is connected to or endorses his son’s move.
The induction programme also saw the joining of former DMK MLAs J. Karunanidhi and V.P. Kalairajan. Former AIADMK minister Vaigai Selvan, along with several former AIADMK MLAs and MPs, also joined TVK during the event.
Since C. Joseph Vijay assumed office as Chief Minister, TVK has witnessed a steady stream of leaders from other political parties joining its ranks. The party has particularly attracted several former AIADMK functionaries, while six AIADMK MLAs have also resigned from their positions and joined TVK in recent weeks.
TVK has been conducting induction programmes every Saturday at its Panaiyur headquarters as part of its organisational expansion across Tamil Nadu.
Jagathrakshakan himself has had a long political journey. After falling out with former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, he, along with the late R. M. Veerappan, was associated with the MGR Kazhagam before later joining the DMK.
Apart from politics, it is a well-known fact that Jagathrakshakan is a prominent businessman with interests in education, hospitality and other sectors. He runs several educational institutions, including a medical college, and is known for his public discourses on Vaishnavite literature, particularly the Divya Prabandham.
DMK MP’s son joins TVK
Mr. Sandeep Anand, son of DMK MP Jagathrakshakan, has joined the TVK. It may well be his personal decision, and Jagathrakshakan cannot automatically be held responsible for his son’s political choice.
Ironically, Jagathrakshakan himself is no stranger to…
— B. Kolappan (@kolappan) July 5, 2026
S. Jagathrakshakan is one of the DMK’s most influential leaders and businessmen. A three-time Lok Sabha MP from Arakkonam, Jagathrakshakan is said to be one of the wealthiest politicians in Tamil Nadu, with business interests spanning education, healthcare, hospitality, distilleries, power generation and infrastructure. He controls a vast network of educational institutions, including medical colleges, engineering colleges and universities, besides owning luxury hotels under the Accord brand.
Jagathrakshakan has also figured prominently in several high-profile controversies. In August 2024, the Enforcement Directorate imposed a penalty of approximately ₹908 crore on him and his family under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and ordered the confiscation of assets worth ₹89.19 crore. The agency alleged violations relating to overseas investments made without regulatory approvals. Jagathrakshakan and his family have contested the proceedings through legal remedies.
His name has previously surfaced in controversies relating to coal block allocations, overseas investments and alleged irregularities involving educational institutions, although several of these matters have either remained under investigation or have been contested by him.
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