Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, after filing his nomination papers, hosted a tea reception for alliance partners. During the interaction, he reportedly urged Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan to reconsider his plan to contest the upcoming Assembly election.
Stalin is said to have argued that Thirumavalavan, currently a Lok Sabha MP from Chidambaram, entering the Assembly race could weaken the strength of the INDIA bloc in Parliament. In response, Thirumavalavan maintained that he must contest this time, citing feedback from within his party.
According to the report, Thirumavalavan told Stalin that actor Vijay’s appeal among Dalit voters is being widely discussed and that his own presence in the contest could help counter that trend. He also conveyed the view within VCK that his candidature could improve the prospects of other party candidates.
VCK sources further claimed there are multiple layers behind his decision beyond the reasons stated to Stalin. They pointed to internal dissatisfaction over some sitting VCK MLAs being seen as closer to the DMK than to their own party, and to tensions during seat-sharing talks where VCK felt pressured into unwanted constituencies.
The report also said Thirumavalavan believes entering the Assembly would help him keep tighter control over the party’s legislators and organisation in the next term, amid concerns about loyalty and decision-making within the party structure.
