KG Arunraj, a former IRS officer who took charge as a minister in Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s cabinet on Sunday (May 10, 2026), said the DMK and AIADMK have lost their initial idealism. Speaking to The Hindu, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam General Secretary (Politics and Propaganda) said that even if the Dravidian parties wanted to do good, they were unable to do so as they were caught in the vicious cycle of vote money and corruption.
Edited excerpts:
A doctor turned IRS officer, you left a secure career last year to join TVK. Did you expect to become a minister so soon?
From healthcare to the civil service and then to politics, social service is common to all of these. I see these three as social service tools. If one is convinced, the results do not matter. I had a strong sense of politics and it was a long-term decision of mine since college. I am a first generation politician in my family.
In college, I got the idea to prepare for the civil service. As a civil servant, our mandate is to carry out government policy. So if we really want to do government policy, we have to get a mandate from the people.
There was a huge vacuum when it came to clean politics in the state. Two parties (DMK and AIADMK) alternately ruled the state for more than 50 years.
People were desperate for change. Our leader sensed it right. There was a vacuum in leadership and governance. We planned everything strategically. We talked about the ideology of land – secular social justice. With the charisma of our leader, we were confident. We are grateful that people believe in us again.
A bureaucrat is bound by rules, procedures and financial constraints when implementing schemes. While politicians are often expected to govern in balance with the aspirations of their constituents. How do you propose to handle that shift?
If one understands people, the transition is easy. Politicians must empathize with the people. Only with empathy can we create policies for them. TVK is a new party. Many of us are also new to politics.
In my opinion, politics is the noblest profession. If politics is good, everything in society will be good. So if politics is to be good, you need empathy for politicians. They should understand people’s problems.
My five years as a doctor at a primary health center in Kakkadasam in Krishnagiri district played a vital role in my understanding of people’s problems. Being an IRS officer gave me a broader perspective on governance. Everything will help me as a minister.
You are in the cabinet, where there are eight members of the First Republic legislators. Is this a challenge in dealing with the larger problems of administration, or would it bring a new perspective to administration?
This is a new way of thinking for us. We have no luggage. We didn’t spend money to win. There are challenges ahead. We are ready to face them.
What aspects of Tamil Nadu’s model of governance that has taken shape over the past six decades need to be changed?
We are not saying that Dravidian parties have done nothing. They played a role in making Tamil Nadu a state of social justice. But their initial idealism slowly evaporated. They got trapped in the narrow path of corrupt governance and family politics to such an extent that they could not get out of it. Both the parties (DMK and AIADMK) are caught in a vicious circle. The worst part is that even if they want to do good, they are not in a position to do it because they have a lot of baggage and they are caught in cash for votes, then corruption and money for votes again. We have our ideological continuum. The two strong pillars of our party are the charisma of our leader and the ideology on which the entire edifice of our party stands. Secular social justice will be our constant theme on which all policies and programs will rest. Tamil Nadu is essentially a welfare state. Social measures will continue. There will also be approaches focused on growth, business support and other development-oriented approaches.
For the first time, Tamil Nadu is witnessing a coalition government in which the Congress is likely to join. Would coalition dynamics limit governance and decision-making?
Our leader announced the power share at the first party conference. Having another party in government means that it will bring its own perspectives. So we will work together for the good of people. We will learn from each other. The Dravidian parties were against power sharing because they did not want to share their spoils.
The recently concluded Assembly elections are being described as the first ‘Gen Z elections’ in India. What can young people expect from you?
Our priority is to provide quality education. The majority of students study in state schools in villages. We will focus on creating job opportunities and tackling the drug menace.
The chief minister criticized the outstanding debt of more than ₹10 crore. But you also promised several social measures that would ultimately increase revenue…
There is definitely a challenge. But, as our leader said, we will reduce corruption. Previously, 30-40% of government spending went through corruption. We will reduce these expenses and be more efficient. At the same time, we have ideas on how to increase income. We are confident that we will achieve this and deliver on our promises.
Published – 11 May 2026 01:45 IST
