CHENNAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan on Saturday announced his decision to withdraw from the Assembly elections and fielded I Jothimani, son of late Dalit leader L Ilayaperumal, as the party’s candidate for Kattumannarkoil (reserved) Assembly constituency.
The VCK leader asserted that he was not 'retreating' from his earlier decision to contest, but was simply changing his strategy. He said that he has never aspired for posts, and that he had only intended to raise issues concerning marginalised communities in the Assembly, which he was not able to do in the parliament.
Addressing media at the party headquarters in Ashok Nagar, Thirumavalavan said he wanted put an end to rumours that he had predicted a hung Assembly and was contesting to secure a seat. He said some even speculated that he was eyeing for the post of deputy chief minister.
He stressed that the DMK-led alliance, which VCK is part of, will get a sweeping victory in the upcoming polls.
Thirumavalavan said he has completed two years as a Member of Parliament and still has three years left in his term, but had a long-standing desire to return to State politics.
He recalled that he had earlier resigned as an MLA despite winning and had also given up an Assembly seat in the past to accommodate an alliance partner, stressing that he was not attached to positions.
Referring to the 2016 Assembly election, he said he narrowly lost in Kattumannarkoil and added that a win then might have kept him in State politics.
He also said the 2026 polls were crucial, alleging attempts by right-wing forces to weaken the DMK-led alliance. The VCK, he added, had played a key role in keeping the alliance intact.
Denying reports of seeking posts or pushing for coalition arrangements, he said the party would avoid such demands to maintain unity in the alliance.