CHENNAI: From an old AIADMK warhorse and a former IRS officer to fan-club loyalists, strategists, and first-time legislators, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's core team reflects the disparate band of soldiers who powered Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's dramatic rise to power.
The leadership structure of his government that CM Vijay unveiled after TVK’s electoral victory offered a glimpse of how he intends to shape his politics, with a blend of administrative experience, electoral strategy, organisational loyalty, media appeal, and social representation.
The nine leaders who have emerged around Vijay represent sharply different political journeys. Some are veterans of Dravidian politics, some are products of the fan-club ecosystem that sustained Vijay for years, while others come from bureaucracy, activism, electoral consulting, and digital politics. Together, they form the first layer of leadership beneath Vijay in Tamil Nadu's newest ruling party.
Among the senior-most political faces in TVK today is KA Sengottaiyan, the 77-year-old political veteran whose entry gave Vijay an immediate administrative heft and credibility, and influence in western Tamil Nadu.
A 10-time MLA and one of the oldest surviving leaders from the MGR era, Sengottaiyan had been with the AIADMK from its inception in 1972. Over five decades, he evolved into one of the party's strongest regional power centres, repeatedly winning from Gobichettipalayam and holding portfolios including Transport and School Education.
Within AIADMK circles, Sengottaiyan was long regarded as one of Jayalalithaa's trusted organisers during election campaigns. Following her death, he was briefly viewed as a possible consensus Chief Ministerial candidate during the OPS-EPS power struggle in 2017.
However, his relationship with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami deteriorated steadily. Sengottaiyan openly argued for reunifying expelled factions led by O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala, eventually leading to his removal from the party in 2025.
Though political speculation strongly linked him with the DMK at the time, Sengottaiyan instead chose Vijay's TVK. Contesting again from Gobi, he won comfortably with 82,612 votes, pushing the AIADMK to third place in the constituency.
For Vijay, Sengottaiyan offers something few in TVK possess: institutional memory of governance and a direct link to the MGR-Jayalalithaa political tradition.
Few individuals have travelled with Vijay as closely as N Anand, popularly known as "Bussy" Anand.
The 61-year-old leader from Karaikal in Puducherry first entered electoral politics in 2006 when he won the Bussy Assembly constituency on a Puducherry Munnetra Congress ticket. Yet, Anand's larger political identity was shaped through Vijay's fan network.
Beginning as an office-bearer in Vijay's Puducherry fan club, Anand gradually rose to become one of the most trusted organisational faces around the actor. His proximity first developed through filmmaker SA Chandrasekar and later deepened directly with Vijay.
Over the years, Anand served in several positions, including all India office-bearer of Vijay's fan network and general secretary of Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.
Soon after TVK was launched, Anand shifted his residence and electoral registration to Tamil Nadu, announcing his transition from fan-club organiser to full-time political functionary.
Inside TVK, Anand is widely regarded as the bridge between Vijay and the cadre network. Most organisational instructions and communication channels within the party are believed to move through him.
His victory from Chennai's T Nagar constituency, with a margin of 13,027 votes, reinforced his position as arguably the second-most powerful leader in TVK after Vijay himself.
If Sengottaiyan represents old-school Dravidian politics, Aadhav Arjuna symbolises the new-age political strategist.
The 43-year-old Villivakkam MLA entered politics through electoral consulting and campaign management rather than conventional party structures. Originally from Tiruchy and educated in Political Science at Madras Christian College, the son-in-law of lottery baron Santiago Martin worked alongside strategist Prashant Kishor between 2015 and the 2021 Assembly election, helping shape the DMK's electoral outreach campaigns during MK Stalin's years in the opposition.
Aadhav’s supporters often point to his role in organising Stalin's ‘Namakku Naame’ campaign as one of the formative phases of his political career.
After the 2021 election, he founded "Voice of Commons", a political consulting and policy platform. He later aligned briefly with the VCK and even served as its deputy general secretary before controversy altered his trajectory.
During the release of the book ‘Ellarukkumana Thalaivar Ambedkar’, by Vijay, Aadhav sharply criticised dynastic politics, remarks widely interpreted as aimed at the DMK leadership. The speech triggered turbulence within the DMK alliance and eventually led to his suspension from the VCK.
Soon afterwards, he joined TVK and rapidly became one of Vijay's closest political aides.
Aadhav also carries significant influence in sports administration, holding positions in the Basketball Federation of India, Tamil Nadu Basketball Association, and Tamil Nadu Olympic Association.
At the same time, controversies continue to follow him. Cases linked to the Karur stampede and a CBI inquiry remain politically sensitive issues around his public profile. His election affidavit declared assets exceeding Rs 440 crore.
Still, his decisive victory in Villivakkam, where he defeated the DMK candidate by 17,302 votes, firmly established him as one of the most influential figures in TVK's second rung.
Former IRS officer KG Arunraj represents TVK's attempt to bring bureaucratic expertise into politics.
The 46-year-old doctor-turned-civil servant from Namakkal district completed MBBS before joining the Income Tax Department through the Civil Services Examination. Since 2009, he has served in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Maharashtra in various roles.
While serving as Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Patna, Arunraj opted for voluntary retirement in 2025 and entered politics through TVK.
His induction immediately attracted attention because of reports linking him to the Income Tax investigations involving Vijay in 2020. Though Arunraj publicly denied media speculation that he had advised Vijay during that phase, the reports added to his political visibility.
He also drew criticism over earlier social media posts opposing welfare schemes and questioning the impact of the 100-day rural employment programme.
Yet within TVK, Arunraj is viewed as a policy-oriented face capable of translating governance ideas into administrative language. His emphatic victory in Tiruchengode, where he won by over 28,000 votes, further strengthened his standing.
Nirmalkumar’s political journey has taken him through three major parties in quick succession – first with the BJP, then AIADMK and now TVK.
The former State IT wing chief of the BJP, Nirmalkumar became widely known after his public fallout with the then State chief K Annamalai. Following his exit from the BJP, he joined the AIADMK in 2023 before shifting again to TVK in January 2025.
A lawyer with postgraduate qualifications in criminal justice and police administration, the 44-year-old quickly emerged as one of TVK’s sharpest public communicators. Within months, Nirmalkumar became one of the party’s principal media faces after Anand.
His biggest political breakthrough was in this election from Tirupparankundram, where religious and political tensions had already made the constituency one of the most watched battlegrounds in the State.
Campaigning aggressively against both the DMK and BJP, Nirmalkumar accused the two parties of disturbing communal harmony in the region.
The result was emphatic. He secured 1,14,316 votes and defeated the DMK candidate by more than 41,000 votes.
Even before entering electoral politics, Rajmohan was already one of the most recognisable public speakers in Vijay’s political ecosystem.
The 39-year-old journalism graduate from Chennai built his identity through television appearances, YouTube commentary, and stage performances. His videos on social issues, including the death of NEET aspirant Anitha, earned him substantial online visibility.
Rajmohan also worked across entertainment platforms as an anchor, stand-up comedy judge, actor, and filmmaker. In 2023, he directed the film “Baba Black Sheep”.
After joining TVK, he was appointed propaganda secretary and soon became the party’s principal stage anchor during Vijay’s political meetings.
At rallies, Rajmohan’s speeches often served as the emotional bridge between the cadre and Vijay’s arrival on stage.
His victory from Egmore constituency by over 10,000 votes marked the successful transition of a media personality into an electoral politician.
Compared to some of TVK’s more visible public faces, P Venkataramanan has maintained a quieter political presence.
The Mylapore MLA and Vijay’s personal auditor currently serves as the party treasurer and is considered part of Vijay’s core organisational circle. Though he has largely avoided headline politics, discussions within political circles suggest he could play a significant role in the government’s financial and administrative management.
His rise reflects Vijay’s tendency to balance high-visibility leaders with low-profile organisational operators.
In Karaikudi, T K Prabhu delivered one of TVK’s most politically significant victories by defeating Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman.
A medical professional by education, Prabhu built his campaign around local governance issues rather than ideological confrontation.
During the election campaign, he repeatedly highlighted drinking water shortages across villages in Karaikudi and promised a “Mission 2030” roadmap focused on infrastructure and basic services.
His victory gave TVK an important breakthrough in the southern belt, where Seeman had attempted to consolidate support.
At 29, S Keerthana represents the youngest layer of TVK’s emerging leadership. An MSc graduate working as a personal consultant, Keerthana won the Sivakasi constituency with 57,039 votes, defeating both Congress and AIADMK rivals.
Her post-election Hindi interviews with national media channels became a talking point on social media, reflecting both generational shifts and the expanding media ambitions of TVK’s younger leadership.
For Vijay, Keerthana’s rise also signals an attempt to project a newer political culture that moves beyond the conventional seniority-driven structures of Tamil Nadu politics.