Session to focus on the rise of the TVK at The Hindu Huddle

The ability of youth movements to mobilize towards change has been evident around the world in recent years, and especially on the South Asian continent. Some of these movements became bloody revolutions in which lives were lost; Others remained bloodless despite shocking the system.

On May 4, something of the second kind happened in Tamil Nadu. As the day dawned, there was much speculation as to who had the trump card in the Assembly elections. Although the result was unexpected for the vast majority of voters, even those who expected the new party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founded by C. Joseph Vijay to win were surprised as few could predict the extent of the victory. With a vote percentage of approximately 35% and 108 seats, TVK’s performance turned into a never-seen-before primary showdown.

TVK’s growth sums up the theme of the session titled ‘From aspiration to empowerment: The story of Generation Z’ held at The Hindu Huddle on June 6. Huddle will be held at Taj West End in Bengaluru.

TVK ran a campaign that no other party had done before in Tamil Nadu. Rooted in Dravidianism, having chosen one or the other of the Dravidian parties for close to half a century, and with a complete belief in bricks and mortar campaigns (long road shows, exciting speeches, public entertainment that goes with it), TVK changed all this. It used the online space and targeted campaigns among groups of people (Generation Z, children, and women) and word of mouth to spread the idea of ​​change. If the troublemaker could win a difficult election, this would be it.

One of the architects of the TVK victory is KG Arunraj, a doctor who worked in the heartland of Tamil Nadu. He joined the party in June 2025 after voluntary retirement from public services. In this session, he will meet Tamil Nadu Bureau Chief Ramya Kannan. HinduThe story of TVK’s astonishing rise and tales emerge from one of the subcontinent’s most spectacular triumphs.