Vanni Arasu | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister Government of Tamil Nadu | |
| Assumed office 22 May 2026 | |
| Governor | Rajendra Arlekar |
| Chief Minister | C. Joseph Vijay |
| Ministry and Departments | Social Justice Department |
| Preceded by | M. Mathiventhan |
| Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 4 May 2026 | |
| Preceded by | P. Arjunan |
| Constituency | Tindivanam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) Thiruperunthur, Viluppuram, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Party | Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi |
| Occupation | Politician |
Vanni Arasu (born 1971) is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu. He is a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Tindivanam Assembly constituency in Viluppuram district representing Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi which contested the assembly elections in alliance with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Vanni Arasu (born Jayaraj) is an Indian politician, activist, and author from Tamil Nadu. He currently serves as the Deputy General Secretary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a political party advocating for the rights of Dalits and other marginalized communities. He is a close associate of Thol. Thirumavalavan and is known for his vocal support for Tamil nationalism and the Eelam Tamil cause.
Vanni Arasu became an MLA for the first time winning the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Tindivanam Assembly constituency in representing Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. He polled 63,833 votes and defeated his nearest rival, P. Arjunan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, by a margin of 734 votes.
He was appointed as Minister of Social Justice by chief minister C. Joseph Vijay in 2026.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIADMK | M. Chakrapani | 92,219 | 50.99% | +14.21 | |
| VCK | Vanni Arasu | 70,492 | 38.98% | New | |
| NTK | M. Latchoumy | 8,587 | 4.75% | New | |
| DMDK | P. M. Ganapathi | 5,460 | 3.02% | New | |
| MNM | M. Sandoshkumar | 2,500 | 1.38% | New | |
| NOTA | NOTA | 1,363 | 0.75% | −0.07 | |
| Margin of victory | 21,727 | 12.01% | 6.15% | ||
| Turnout | 180,845 | 79.83% | 1.00% | ||
| Rejected ballots | 209 | 0.12% | |||
| Registered electors | 226,539 | ||||
| AIADMK hold | Swing | 14.21% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCK | Vanni Arasu | 63,833 | 32.56 | New | |
| AIADMK | P. Arjunan | 63,099 | 32.19 | −15.96 | |
| TVK | S. Sakthivel | 61,159 | 31.02 | New | |
| NTK | P. Pechimuthu | 5,242 | 2.67 | ||
| NOTA | NOTA | 714 | 0.36 | ||
| Margin of victory | 734 | 0.37 | |||
| Turnout | |||||
| Rejected ballots | |||||
| Registered electors | 219,256 | ||||
| VCK gain from AIADMK | Swing | ||||