VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan on Saturday morning appealed to voters in Puducherry not to vote for his party’s candidates in three constituencies, with the election just three days away. He said the move followed an “understanding within the alliance,” and added that except in Ozhukarai, VCK candidates in other seats would campaign to mobilise votes for alliance partners.
The statement marks another shift in VCK’s stand in Puducherry. After the party was offered only one seat in the DMK–Congress alliance, Thirumavalavan had exited the alliance on March 24 and announced candidates for four constituencies. He has now said an agreement has been reached again.
A similar reversal was seen in Tamil Nadu recently, when Thirumavalavan withdrew from contesting the Kattumannarkoil constituency after earlier indicating he would run. He said speculation and messaging around his decision could harm the alliance, and described his withdrawal as a political strategy.
The report attributes these repeated changes to DMK’s electoral manoeuvring, citing VCK sources. It says DMK’s campaign strategist firm, ‘PEN’, headed by Sabarisan—Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s son-in-law—conducted a survey in Kattumannarkoil and analysed past election data before inviting Thirumavalavan for discussions.
According to VCK functionaries quoted in the report, Thirumavalavan was told that contesting Kattumannarkoil could risk defeat and affect his political standing, and that if a hung Assembly emerges and VCK becomes pivotal, DMK would be prepared to give the party due importance. The report also notes that VCK had sought and obtained eight seats from DMK and had already announced candidates, adding that campaign expenses were a concern.
