Thol. Thirumavalavan

Thirumavalavan dismissed speculation that he would contest the upcoming Tiruchy East Assembly bypoll. He used the occasion in Tiruchy to call on the Centre and the State government to control rising prices that hit poor and marginalised communities hardest.

Thirumavalavan joined an INDIA bloc protest in Chennai demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of acting for the BJP and alleging vote deletions during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He also claimed that the SIR process may have contributed to MK Stalin's defeat in the Kolathur constituency in the 2026 Assembly election, and said he had warned Stalin about it beforehand.

He urged the VCK to prepare for a Tamil nationalist public rally scheduled for his birthday on 17 August in Ulundurpet. The report described the party as sharpening its post-election focus on Tamil nationalism and broader political positioning.

Thirumavalavan said he was not personally keen on joining the TVK government, though he ultimately agreed to his party entering the cabinet after cadre pressure. His comments reflected internal consultation within the VCK over how to respond to the invitation.

He said he had heard of backroom discussions about making him a chief ministerial candidate, but clarified that he was unaware of the other developments. The remarks came amid political speculation around alliances and leadership choices ahead of the Tamil Nadu election cycle.

Thol. Thirumavalavan announced that he would not contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections after initially being named as a candidate from Kattumannarkoil. He said the decision was taken to preserve the unity of the DMK-led alliance and the wider ruling front.