Home State Tamil Nadu From A Self-Styled ‘Astrologer’ To Almost Becoming OSD On Taxpayer Money: Who...

From A Self-Styled ‘Astrologer’ To Almost Becoming OSD On Taxpayer Money: Who Is Vijay’s Trusted Advisor Radhan Pandit?

By
The Commune
-

On 12 May 2026, Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay appointed his personal astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as ‘Officer on Special Duty’ to Chief Minister but within 24 hours, the order as revoked.

The news of Joseph Vijay’s in-house astrologer being made an OSD was met with skepticism and anger among the public. This is especially since the OSD is a taxpayer funded role and people questioned why an astrologer and in what capacity he was needed in that role.

After massive backlash on social media and from his own alliance parties, Joseph Vijay’s TVK government revoked the appointment.

Who Is Radhan Pandit?

Born as Vettrivel in Erode, Radhan Pandit has publicly claimed close associations with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, V. K. Sasikala and several senior political figures across India.

Vikatan states he is from Oothukuli in Tiruppur. About 30 years ago, he reportedly started as a small-time astrologer in Tiruppur district.

He got his first big break through a local AIADMK ‘VIP’ after predicting a bright future post-election loss in 1996. Post-1996, he was introduced to Erode Muthusamy, then to Jayalalithaa and Sasikala – both of whom placed extraordinary faith in astrology.

In 2001, after Jayalalithaa returned to power, he reportedly became the court astrologer of Poes Garden – the official residence and nerve centre of AIADMK power. Following the Sasikala fallout, a serious rift developed between him and Sasikala and thus the “doors of Poes Garden were closed” to him. After falling out with Sasikala, he reportedly left Tamil Nadu for Delhi, changed his name to Rathan Pandit, and reinvented himself as a North Indian-style astrologer.

During his Delhi years, he reportedly worked with senior BJP leaders including L.K. Advani and M.M. Joshi, and with the Sharad Pawar family. He also had a business stint in Singapore.

In 2020, he is said to have established contact with actor Vijay.

On his website and in interviews, he describes himself as a “spiritual mentor” who guided leaders, ministers, governors, business executives and influential personalities through astrology, meditation and numerology.

He has a YouTube channel with over 8 lakh subscribers.

Claims Of Advising Jayalalithaa

His website (down at the moment) gives an elaborate description. Among his most controversial claims are assertions that he advised Jayalalithaa on election timing, legal strategies, candidate selection and even changes to the spelling of her name from “J. Jayalalitha” to “J. Jayalalithaa” for numerological reasons. He further claimed that court dates, advocate selections and political decisions during her tenure were influenced by his astrological guidance. He also stated that he altered Sasikala’s public name to “V. K. Sasikala” and played a role in naming entities such as “Jaya TV” and “MIDAS Distilleries.”

In some of his interviews, he claims that he must have had 2000 meals with her.

“From 2001 to 2006, she would have coffee and biscuits with me daily every morning and then only leave for office. I’ve had most of the lunches with her.“, he claims.

Radhan Pandit additionally claimed that he successfully predicted Jayalalithaa’s 1991 electoral victory as well as her political setbacks and possible imprisonment during the mid-1990s. According to accounts cited in political circles, his relationship with Jayalalithaa reportedly deteriorated after he allegedly assured her she would avoid imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case, only for her to later be jailed in 2014. Sources familiar with the episode claim she subsequently distanced herself from him, after which he relocated abroad, including spending time in Singapore and Delhi.

During his Delhi phase, the astrologer reportedly reinvented himself under the name “Radhan Pandit,” adopting a more North Indian public identity in an effort to expand his reach among national and international clientele. His website states that he has advised “senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office,” chief ministers, ministers, governors, university leaders and global corporate executives. He also claims to have over 950 clients worldwide and says he has travelled extensively across India, Dubai, Sri Lanka and other countries.

During the time former CM J Jayalalithaa was alive, Radhan Pandit who then called himself Dakshinamurthy Vetrivel, claimed to have been providing astrological consultations at her residence for nearly 15 years; he submitted a complaint petition to the Chennai City Police Commissioner alleging that he and his family had been receiving repeated death threats. In the petition, Vetrivel reportedly claimed that unidentified individuals were continuously threatening to kill him along with his family members, prompting him to seek police protection and request immediate action from the authorities.

It is reported that in 2008, he gave an interview to Junior Vikatan alleging that Sasikala obtained his signature on blank stamp papers, and threatened to destroy his family.

Other Claims

Before becoming closely associated with Vijay, Radhan Pandit had repeatedly spoken about actor Ajith Kumar in astrological terms during interviews. In one widely circulated appearance, he described Ajith as possessing a “Chief Minister horoscope” and compared his public stature to legendary actor-politician N. T. Rama Rao. He praised Ajith’s intellect, personality and public appeal, while also claiming the actor had astrological combinations suitable for political leadership in the future. However, observers note that Ajith never publicly entertained the astrologer’s political overtures, following which Radhan Pandit increasingly aligned himself with Vijay’s political rise.

In another interview, he says, “He is a hugely lucky man, no doubt at all. I really approached him. But his people said since he met with many accidents and he was not keen on all this (astrology). So I retreated.”

Predictions For 2019

In 2019, he reportedly predicted a massive Congress victory as can be seen from his video. He said, “The 2019 election is not easy for BJP; Congress is the one in favour. In February this year, I had said the same thing in a similar video clip back in February 2012. In the 2019 election, Congress has the chance to come to power. The reason is that both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are in a very good period astrologically, while Modi sir is to some extent in an unfavourable period.”

And we know how that ended for Rahul Gandhi, a humiliating defeat for the Congress party for the second time.

In a more recent post, he claims he is 60 years old and that he wants a life partner. He also describes some secret meditation technique capable of making people extraordinarily wealthy and successful, saying he would teach it only to selected individuals after analysing their horoscopes and in exchange for 10% of their future earnings. He further stated that he intended to train a limited number of people globally, warned that the method could become “dangerous” in the hands of “bad people,” and claimed that those taught by him could eventually dominate lists of the world’s richest individuals. But the whole video ends up sounding more like a Ponzi scheme rather than a real technique.

After the Karur stampede, here is what he said: “He made the whole country turn back and look at him. Over 40 people died in the stampede. And this news is flashed in Chinese newspapers, in newspapers in South Africa. Everyone is watching. Everyone is not paying attention to the people who died after they came to see an actor. It is more on the actor who the people went to see. They were present right up until the very moment of death. So they only look at the grace that he had.”

Explaining why Vijay would win, he said, “Vijay will cross the bad time in December. I am boldly giving you this interview. Call me back on January 31st. But before that it will be clear that he is the next CM. That is because the people’s mentality will change. Read psychology books. Do you know why Hitler couldn’t win? Many people think they are Hitler. They are tormented by Hitler. Lakhs of jews are massacred. Somehow this spreads everywhere. Everyone thinks and fears that Hitler will destroy the world. That fear makes him keep thinking, now everyone’s mental power goes there. If 10 people think of you, you will gain their energy. Because of this incident, about 500 crore people would have thought about Vijay.” 

For more than a year, Radhan Pandit has functioned as one of TVK’s most visible unofficial defenders in television debates, interviews and online discussions. He frequently predicted Vijay’s political ascent and publicly projected confidence that TVK would emerge as a major political force in Tamil Nadu. According to sources, he also advised Vijay on symbolic and astrological aspects of his political campaign, including recommending that he contest from a constituency beginning with the letter “V.”

It is also alleged that the astrologer maintains extensive investment and business connections in Singapore and Malaysia, with links to entrepreneurs, investors, software firms and diplomatic circles. Sources claim his role within the broader TVK ecosystem goes beyond astrology and symbolism, extending into facilitating investment discussions and development proposals connected to Tamil Nadu. Diplomatic representatives from Singapore were reportedly present during multiple meetings with Vijay and also attended his swearing-in ceremony, according to sources familiar with the interactions.

Vijay’s decision to appoint Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty has raised larger questions about judgment, transparency and the use of public office. The controversy is not merely about one astrologer’s personal beliefs, but about whether a taxpayer-funded administrative role is being used for political loyalty, symbolism or private influence rather than governance.

Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR