Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026| People’s yearning for a change is palpable: TVK’s Arunraj

Dr K G Arunraj took voluntary retirement from politics in 2025 to join Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam of actor-politician Vijay. He has emerged as one of the popular second-rung leaders of the TVK and has been working among the people for the past year.

DH’s ETB Sivapriyan caught up with Arunraj for an interview on the campaign trail in Tiruchengode, from where he is making his electoral debut.

The ex-IRS officer spoke about people’s yearning for a change, welfare schemes, the impact of Dravidian parties, and the ground reality. Edited excerpts:

Q: As an IRS officer, you might have overseen elections but how is it joining politics and contesting elections?

 A: I was in service for 15 years, and I have had the experience of working as an Expenditure Observer during elections. After coming to the ground, I really feel people in Tamil Nadu are yearning for a change, and that sentiment is very palpable among the people. 

 I love working with the people, and I can say that being a politician is a hectic job. Only those who genuinely love being among people will enjoy it. Otherwise, it is very tiresome.

Q: You said people are looking for a change. What is making people look for an alternative in TVK and Vijay? Is it fatigue with the Dravidian parties that have ruled the state alternatively since 1967, or rampant corruption and nepotism? 

 

A: I won’t say that the Dravidian parties have done nothing for the state; they have definitely worked for the people and it is a fact that Tamil Nadu is one of the better performing states in the country. 

But the question is whether Tamil Nadu has reached its potential and whether taxpayers’ money has been used properly to uplift the poor. 

Even 75 years after independence, many villages still lack basic amenities. That is why we say Tamil Nadu deserves something better. People are fed up with corruption, nepotism, and dynastic rule. 

Moreover, we feel our leader’s entry into politics has politically awakened the youth, who had kept an arm’s length distance from politics. Tamil Nadu may not have seen such love being shown for a leader since the legendary M G Ramachandran. 

Q: Is the youth power alone enough to bring about a government change? 

 

A: Who said TVK enjoys only youth support? It is an understatement to say that TVK's support base is restricted to youth and women. People across age groups, gender, and occupation yearn for a change. The sentiments are spread across the state.

Q: One of the major criticisms against the Dravidian parties has been that they have moved away from welfare politics to consumerism politics through promises like refrigerators and Rs 8,000 coupons to buy electronic appliances. But “change agent” Vijay is also promising one sovereign of gold for girls during marriage. How different is TVK from these parties?

 

A: The point is that we are basically a welfare-oriented state. The need for welfare schemes still exists. As I said, people’s livelihoods have still not gone up to the standards we expect for a middle or upper-income family. We need that initial push for the disadvantaged and until that time, these kinds of welfare measures are definitely required. 

It is the duty of an elected state to take care of its citizens. I would say our promises are qualitative, and they are different from others. DMK promised a lot of things, but they have not fulfilled them. Our leader is very clear that we will implement what we promise. By eradicating corruption and the commission culture, we will genuinely transfer these resources to implement welfare measures. 

Q: As a former officer who worked among the people, don't you think these subsidies or direct benefit transfers (DBTs) should be targeted rather than universalised? 

 

A: There are two points of view. You can say better targeting might help. But, as a welfare state, we need these schemes to be universal before we reach a stage where they can be targeted. 

Q: TVK has identified the DMK as its political enemy. Why haven’t you brought the AIADMK into your line of fire? Is it because you want the AIADMK supporters to vote for you?

 

A: We want to attack the party that is in power and the party you referred to has lost the confidence of the people. The party plunged into a crisis, and it took a long time for them to settle the issues and we don’t know whether it is settled even now. 

They (AIADMK) say they are leading the alliance but we saw who (BJP) stitched it together. Since they have lost the confidence of the people, most AIADMK supporters have become TVK supporters, and there is no point in attacking them. 

Q: Is it even politically prudent to dismiss a party that was ruling the state until 2021?

 

A: It is true that they ruled. But they have been losing elections consecutively and that is why we are strategically targeting only the DMK.

Q: There is a lot of criticism about TVK chief Vijay not campaigning enough. First, the party said there were problems in getting permissions; then some events were cancelled by the TVK. Don’t you think not showing up for campaign meetings will have an effect? 

 

A: Our leader is very clear and wants to campaign, and he will campaign throughout the state. It will not affect in any way, as our primary concern is the safety and security of the people and we don't want any untoward incident which will turn into a problem for us. 

Right now, the ground support is very good and our ground report says that we are winning hands down. We will form the government on our own with a comfortable majority.