Tamil Nadu: Dalit Outfit VCK Hits A Jackpot By Inducting Son-In-Law Of 'Lottery King' Martin But Move Makes DMK Wary

The appointment of Aadhav Arjuna as the Deputy General Secretary of the Dalit political outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) within days of joining the party has set tongues wagging in political circles, sparking speculation that the new entrant into the party will be fielded in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Arjuna is the son-in-law of Santiago Martin, better known as 'Lottery King' Martin. 

Martin amassed a vast fortune by monopolising the government lottery schemes in Northeastern states, where local administrations use lotteries to bolster revenues. 

Known to be close to the members of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, Martin has been under the radar of multiple investigative agencies.

In July 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached Rs 173.48 crore worth of Martin's assets. The anti-money laundering agency has unearthed and seized assets and bank deposits of Marin and his family worth Rs 457 crore. The agency also booked Martin and others under the anti-money laundering law after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Kochi office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the accused under various sections of the IPC and Lotteries (Regulation) Act of 1998.

Surprise Entry To VCK

Arjuna's entry to VCK took political observers by surprise as he was known to be part of a powerful clique led by Sabareesan, the son-in-law of Chief Minister M.K Stalin. 

Though details about his past are sketchy and shrouded in mystery, Arjuna maintains that he has not inherited any fortune from his father-in-law and claims to be a 'self-made entrepreneur'. In July 2023, he was elected president of the Basketball Federation Of India (BFI).

Arjuna joined the VCK during the 'Vellum Sananayagam' conference organised by the party in Trichy last month.

According to multiple reports in local media, Arjuna has emerged as a 'moneybag' for the Dalit outfit led by Thol. Thirumavalavan as it seeks to expand its political footprint in Tamil Nadu. 

The conference in Trichy witnessed huge crowds, with Thirumavalavan himself thanking Arjuna for the 'support' he provided for the successful staging of the event.

VCK, which draws almost all its support from a significant Dalit population in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu and enjoys a solid cadre base, has found it challenging to make headway against the Dravidian parties. 

A key ally of DMK, it has faced accusations of taking a 'more loyal than the king' political position by remaining steadfast in its allegiance to the ruling party and turning a blind eye to the case of atrocities against Dalits in various parts of the state.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, VCK was allocated a paltry two seats (one of their candidates was even forced to contest on the DMK symbol) despite the alliance drawing strength from it.

Given that the election commission has not recognised the party (it has not been allocated a regular symbol ), VCK is demanding four Lok Sabha seats (including one non-reserved seat) to achieve its ambition of 'national party' status. It plans to field Arjuna in the non-reserved seat it wants to be allocated.

Internal Power Dynamics In DMK

According to sources privy to the dynamics within the ruling family of DMK, Arjuna is said to have joined VCK with the blessings of Sabareesan. The clout of the CM's son-in-law is said to have significantly fallen with the rise of Udhayanidhi Stalin as the undisputed successor. Udhayanidhi is believed to be working on establishing total sway over the party apparatus and is unlikely to accommodate those enjoying proximity to Sabareesan. 

A section of the ruling DMK is said to be peeved at the increasingly assertive VCK, especially on its demand for a higher share of seats. With opposition ADMK walking out of its alliance with BJP, DMK also fears that VCK could bargain hard knowing that ADMK would be happy to lure it.

Some political observers even suggest the influence of DMK in the recent appointment of K Selvaperunthagai as the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.

Selvaperunthagai was formerly a member of VCK (he was even elected to the state assembly in 2006 as a VCK member) but quit the party to join Congress after a bitter fallout with Thirumavalavan.

With the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, the ruling DMK needs to perform a delicate balancing act in keeping its allies intact to repeat the record of 2019, when the alliance led by the party swept 38 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.