Viduthalai Chiru-thaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary and MLA Sinthanai Selvan, who is shifting his battleground from the Kattumannarkoil Assembly constituency to Cheyyur seat, in an interview with TNIE’s Prabhakar Tamilarasu, explains the reasons for the move, his vision for Cheyyur if elected and what he makes of Vijay’s political debut.
You had a successful tenure in Kattumannarkoil. Why the sudden shift to Cheyyur ?
The decision to move was made by the party leadership to provide opportunities for new faces in Kattumannarkoil. My leader, Thol Thirumavalavan, felt confident that as the general secretary of the party, I could perform effectively in any constituency assigned to me.
How do you view this new constituency?
Cheyyur is unique; it is very close to Chennai, yet it remains a predominantly agricultural region. It is lush with mango groves, coconut trees and more palmyra trees than many southern districts. However, the contradiction is that most residents are reliant on the city for employment. They commute to the city for work and return only late at night. My goal is to make farming profitable so people don’t feel forced to migrate.
How do you plan on pulling that off?
As the MLA of Kattumannarkoil, we successfully established a dairy plant in Puduvachavadi. We also worked to turn the Veeranam Lake area into a tourist spot. On a broader scale, I worked extensively to fix the Ambedkar Overseas Scholarship. By removing restrictive income caps that previously limited it to those earning less than one or two lakhs, we turned the scheme into a huge opportunity for Dalit students seeking education abroad.
Similarly, we can focus on value-added agricultural products in Cheyyur. For instance, converting milk into milk powder or mangoes into pulp. I also intend to bring more industries to the region. Furthermore, Cheyyur has 17 fishing villages. These communities are in fact ‘maritime tribes’ and deserve the same level of attention as hill tribes. Many still lack land titles (pattas) for their homes.
VCK president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan’s explanations on choice of candidates and his initial decision to contest and later to withdraw led to more discussions in the DMK-led alliance. Some wondered whether such explanations were warranted. Was there any external pressure to do so?
Not at all. It reflects our leader’s democratic attitude and his sense of accountability. While larger parties might change candidates at the last minute without offering any reasons, the VCK is often closely watched because we contest fewer seats. Our leader Thirumavalavan provides these explanations because of his innate democratic character, not because he is forced to.
What is the main poll plank for the VCK this election?
This election is a war between the ‘Delhi gang’ (BJP) and Tamils who value social justice and pluralism. For 10 years, the BJP has exerted severe political, cultural and economic pressure on TN. We must prevent them from gaining a foothold.
Don’t you think that BJP has relatively grown in the state over the last decade?
I wouldn’t say they haven’t grown at all, but they haven’t grown as a healthy political force. They have emerged as a dangerous force that seeks to destroy its own allies and incite violence rather than engaging in healthy discourse.
Vijay has officially entered the political arena. How does VCK view his entry?
We believe Vijay has been fielded tactically by the BJP to split minority votes that would otherwise go to the DMK-led alliance. This isn’t a path toward transformative politics, but an arrangement orchestrated by the BJP. While his impact might be visible across various communities, the ultimate beneficiary of this fragmentation is intended to be the BJP.
Many believe that Vijay would eat into Dalit votes as well
He is not just splitting the votes of the Dalits, but those of other communities as well. If you take the list of victims in the Karur stampede (41 people killed in the crowd crush at Vijay’s rally), you can find out who his supporters are. It is not just Dalits.