Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol. Thirumavalavan has asserted that the DMK’s victory in 59 Assembly constituencies was possible only because the VCK remained part of the alliance, rejecting claims that the party’s vote base had shifted to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as reported in Tamil Webdunia.
Addressing the growing political debate over the VCK’s electoral influence, Thirumavalavan dismissed reports suggesting that the DMK’s defeat was caused by VCK supporters switching their allegiance to TVK.
He instead argued that the VCK’s votes had consolidated behind the DMK, enabling the party to secure victories in 59 constituencies.
He said, “With the entry of a third party, voters who used to alternate between the two Dravidian parties shifted their allegiance; people from all communities changed their voting patterns. However, a malicious group—driven by the desire to prevent the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal (VCK) from gaining political significance is deliberately propagating the narrative that only VCK supporters switched sides. There was a prevailing narrative that the DMK alliance won thanks to Thirumavalavan, given the string of victories – the 2019 and 2024 parliamentary elections, the 2021 assembly election, and the intervening local body polls. Amidst this success, a perception emerged among the public that Dalit voters and the VCK were strongly backing this alliance. Consequently, to undermine this perception, a false narrative is being spread claiming that VCK votes shifted elsewhere, thereby enabling the DMK alliance’s victory.”
He added, “In constituencies, there was a time when VCK’s presence once secured 350 out of 400 votes; that figure might have dropped to 250 now. However, in non-SC constituencies where the electorate is predominantly non-SC, they might have previously secured 100 out of 400 votes, but that number has now dwindled to just 30. Or consider the drop of 20 votes, no one talks about that. In Srirangam, a constituency where they once had zero presence, the DMK candidate received only five votes at a particular polling booth; notably, it wasn’t even an SC-reserved booth. One must ask: how many votes did the DMK secure there previously, and why did they get only five this time? Who did those voters choose instead? The narrative being spun,the impression being created, is that the alliance lost because those who usually vote for the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal (VCK) switched sides; the implication is that SC voters were swayed by a fascination with cinema. That is the narrative, portraying these people as politically unrefined.”
He further said, “In the past, people claimed votes were cast in exchange for money; yet, in this election, the TVK won without distributing cash for votes, so that specific accusation cannot be leveled against them. People claim the votes were cast out of a craze for cinema, but if you examine the results from non-Dalit booths in the same area, you can see exactly how many votes went to the TVK versus the DMK. I feel compelled to state that the contribution of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal was immense in the DMK securing those 59 seats; the VCK played a crucial role in retaining that vote share. Yet, no one acknowledges this. Perhaps they cannot stomach the prominence the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal are receiving. We never asked for it ourselves.”
He further said, “They were the ones who proposed my name. One person speaks of a Deputy Chief Minister role, another of the Chief Ministership, we never said that. We didn’t stake a claim. We didn’t approach anyone asking for it. We hold only two seats. Did we go to anyone asking to be made Chief Minister? Did we ask anyone to give us the Deputy Chief Minister post? Now, without me even asking, they are nominating me for the Nobel Prize. I don’t know what else might come my way. They are nominating me for the Nobel Prize. Meanwhile, I am just sitting here quietly. I live right alongside you, breathing the same air. I spend twenty hours a day toiling amidst the crowds. Yet, regarding them, calling someone Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Minister, or now nominating me for the Nobel Prize, what can I do? Some people are consumed by envy over this. Unable to bear that jealousy, they spout nonsense in the media, speaking in singular.”
Thirumavalavan also denied rumours that senior officials, including those in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), had been appointed based on his recommendations. He dismissed such claims as baseless speculation.
He said, “They spread false information, claiming I was the one who got the DGP appointed, or the DVAC chief appointed, or the Law and Order chief appointed. I never said such things, nor were those appointments made at my behest; none of it is true. Just because an officer happens to be a Dalit, does it mean I recommended them? Do I only recommend Dalits? Do I not recommend anyone else? Look, it is a casteist mindset; this is merely a manifestation of that casteist mentality. I have been in this field for 37 or 40 years, and I have never approached any officer based on caste. I have never even sought to know which caste an officer belongs to. In fact, I often state on stages shared with IAS and IPS officers that I stand in this arena relying on those who herd goats and cattle.”
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