Rift between MK Stalin’s party and ally VCK in Tamil Nadu?

Recent remarks by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Aadhav Arjuna, advocating for a greater role for his party in the DMK-led state government, have triggered speculation about a rift with the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
The issue erupted after a video of VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan’s speech was circulated on social media, where he distinguished between “seat-sharing” and “power-sharing”. He emphasised that VCK would continue to push for power-sharing with the ruling DMK. The video was deleted and reposted multiple times, which Thirumavalavan later attributed to a mistake in the original upload.
For decades, the Dravidian parties, including DMK and AIADMK, have forged alliances to win elections through seat-sharing arrangements, but have traditionally resisted power-sharing, even with national parties like Congress or BJP. This strategy has allowed them to maintain control in the state.
However, recently, the VCK leader Arjuna has been vocal about his belief that the political future of Tamil Nadu lies in power-sharing, which includes a ministerial position for the party in the cabinet.
Aadhav Arjuna’s comments did not stop there. In interviews with regional media, he appeared to criticise DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and actor Vijay, drawing parallels between their political aspirations and the lack of advancement for Thirumavalavan.
“Some who came from cinema want to become Chief Minister, others who entered politics recently aspire to be Deputy Chief Minister. Why hasn’t my leader become one? I represent the sentiments of VCK’s grassroots cadre. Our aim is to see our leader as Deputy Chief Minister or Chief Minister,” said Aadhav Arjuna.
The DMK has responded to the remark, with party Deputy General Secretary A Raja condemning Aadhav Arjuna’s remarks, stating that they were unacceptable and made without Thirumavalavan’s knowledge.
“Such comments from someone new to the party, unaware of alliance policies, are not acceptable politically,” said Raja. He said that Thirumavalavan, who strongly adheres to leftist ideologies rooted in Tamil history, would not support these views and urged him to take action.
Raja further expressed confidence that Thirumavalavan would address the issue within the party. “I believe Thirumavalavan will not allow such statements and urge him to reject them,” said Raja.
Speaking from Coimbatore, Thirumavalavan reiterated that there was no rift between DMK and VCK despite the uproar surrounding the video. He clarified that the discussion on power-sharing had been taken out of context. “There is no tension between DMK and VCK. The video on power-sharing led to unnecessary discussions,” said Thirumavalavan.
When questioned about Raja’s request to take action against Aadhav Arjuna, Thirumavalavan said that party decisions would be made in consultation with functionaries. “I have spoken with the party’s secretaries and deputy general secretaries, and we will decide accordingly,” he stated.