Within days of slamming the actor-turned neta Vijay of lacking political maturity and ideological clarity, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, a key ally of the DMK-led alliance is all set to share stage with the Kollywood icon on December 6.
Though the occasion is a book launch on the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar in Chennai, it has sent political tongues wagging. With the DMK still smarting under Vijay castigating the party and its leadership as a selfish group looting the state, a crucial partner of the party sharing the dais has raised eyebrows.
While Thirumavalavan is slated to release the book, Vijay, founder of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, will receive the first copy. The author is none other than Adhav Arjuna, deputy general secretary of the VCK, who had raised the issue of power sharing. Not only that, he had also asked “When a person (Udhayanidhi) who was acting in films four years ago could become the Deputy Chief Minister, why not our leader (Thirumavalavan), who is in politics for 40 years.”
At the first state conference of the TVK, Vijay had announced that his party, confident of securing the mandate, is prepared to accommodate allies and share power with them in the government. This is unusual, since none of the parties which have ruled the state had ever shared power with the allies. While Adhav Arjuna had welcomed this, Thiruma had criticised Vijay for lacking political maturity. “He should first prove his strength by contesting the election. Being an untested material, his expectation of parties flocking to him is ridiculous and shows that his only intent is to become the Chief Minister.”
Even the Congress was measured in its criticism of Vijay and welcomed his attack on the BJP as communal and ideological enemy. However, later at an interaction with the media, Thirumavalavan made it clear that he had no personal grudge with Vijay and that his criticism was only political. He also dismissed as preposterous that he was drifting away from the DMK-led combine. It is in this context, the coming together of Thirumavalavan and Vijay, who had adopted Ambedkar as one the party’s guiding light, has kindled interest in political circles.