Chennai: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government in Tamil Nadu Thursday formally appointed John Arokiasamy and Vishnu Reddy as advisers to Chief Minister Vijay.
Arokiasamy shall serve as political adviser to the chief minister, while Reddy shall play the role of adviser in general matters and those related to public events.
Both individuals played a vital role in TVK’s victory with Arokiasamy managing Vijay’s political messaging and Reddy ensuring that all necessary arrangements such as water, medical aid and crowd management measures were in place.
Who is John Arokiasamy
John Arokiasamy, widely credited to be the brains behind the TVK’s strategy, was a behind-the-scenes operator since the party’s launch. An Andhra Pradesh native, his association with Vijay goes beyond the formal launch of the party, with him being his public relations executive earlier. He later became TVK’s data and analytics point person at a time when both DMK and AIADMK’s hegemony in Tamil Nadu politics was thought to be unchallenged.
Arokiasamy ran an 24/7 war room in Chennai during the campaign and tracked voter sentiment, which made him confident of TVK’s victory.
His team also reached out to the masses through a custom-built outreach app and a vast network of nearly 70,000 booth-level agents.
A founder of JPACPersona, a perception management and political strategy consultancy that helped campaign management for PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss and brand consulting for AIADMK leader S.P Velumani, Arokiasamy also played consultant to candidates in Karnataka, besides working with the Shiv Sena.
A former corporate communications professional, he holds a Masters’ Degree in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Trichy and an MBA from Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai.
He was responsible for projecting the TVK as a fresh alternative while clearly defining its rivals, successfully turning Vijay’s massive fan base to his voter base, which helped the party secure 108 seats in its debut election.
A TVK functionary, on condition of anonymity, told ThePrint, “There were challenges in some events and as after the political rallies began but John was focused on crisis management, strategy and ensuring that the focus remains on the narrative of placing TVK as the political party capable of overthrowing the Dravidian majors.”
As political adviser, Arokiasamy is expected to guide legislative strategy, alliance coordination, and day-to-day political management of the new government.
Who is Vishnu Reddy
On the other hand, Vishnu Reddy, at the centre of social media buzz after accompanying Vijay to the Lok Bhavan as he formed the government, is a granite businessman from Andhra Pradesh who also has been in Vijay’s close circle for decades.
His meeting with the Governor drew flak for purported “outsider” influence. During the campaign, he handled key managerial, organisational and logistical roles by meeting the needs of the public and ensuring smooth coordination during events and rallies.
Reddy has been assigned as the overseer of the chief minister’s public engagements, government functions, grievance redressal meetings, and related security arrangements, similar to his previous campaign role.
After courting criticism, Vijay’s government had in its early days revoked the order to appoint his astrologer, Radhan Pandit, as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
However, the appointments of Arokiasamy and Reddy suggest that the TVK chief plans to keep his aides close, by appointing them to formal, governmental roles.
(Edited by Archishman Ganguly)
-
-
-
-
