IRS officer-turned-politician KG Arunraj joins TVK, eyes Kongu belt in TN polls

Hailing from Tamil Nadu’s Salem district, Arunraj, who holds an MBBS degree from Madras Medical College with rural healthcare service under his belt, had a distinguished career in the Income Tax department after clearing the UPSC in 2009.

Famous for leading a 2016 major raid that led to a seizure of Rs 90 crore in cash, Arunraj has served across Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Maharashtra, before taking voluntary retirement last month to pursue politics.

Poised to be key TVK leader

Confirming Arunraj’s induction, TVK's press note said his long-standing bond with party leader Vijay began in 2009. Arunraj is poised to become a core member of TVK’s leadership and is likely to contest from the Kongu belt, a politically significant region, in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Also read: TVK vs AIADMK: Anti-DMK alliance plan hits roadblock

“I’ve always been drawn to administration since my days as a doctor, which led me to the UPSC. But politics offers the ultimate platform to serve the people,” Arunraj said.

Fearless officer

Arunraj earned a reputation as a fearless officer leading high-stakes Income Tax raids. His most prominent actions include 'mega' raids targeting the family of N Sasikala, former CM Jayalalithaa's aide, and investigations linked to the Kodanadu estate case, which drew significant attention due to their political sensitivity.

He is also known for his sessions on the Constitution, which are designed for civil service aspirants.

Also read: Vijay enters Coimbatore with a bang, but can he capture Kongu belt votes?

Growing trend

Arunraj’s move aligns with a growing trend of Tamil Nadu’s civil servants entering politics. Below is a list of former officers who have joined politics and their political trajectories: VS Chandralekha (1971-batch IAS)

Tamil Nadu’s first woman district collector, she resigned in 1992 to join the Janata Party, which merged with the BJP in 2013. She remains a close aide of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

R Nataraj (1975-batch IPS)

Former Tamil Nadu DGP, Nataraj joined AIADMK in 2014, won the 2016 Mylapore Assembly seat, but lost in 2021. Currently, he is not active in politics.

AX Alexander (1970-batch IPS)

A former Tamil Nadu DGP, Alexander joined AIADMK in 2014 but has remained inactive after failing to secure a party nomination.

K Malaisamy (senior IAS)

Post-retirement, Malaisamy joined AIADMK, served as Ramanathapuram MP (1999-2004), and was a Rajya Sabha member. Expelled in 2014 for advocating a Modi alliance, he joined the BJP in 2015.

P Sivagami (1980-batch IAS)

After VRS in 2008, Sivagami joined the Bahujan Samaj Party, later founding Samuga Samathuva Padai. She contested the 2016 Perambalur Assembly polls under DMK’s symbol but lost.

AG Mourya (1997-batch IPS)

Joining Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in 2018, Mourya, now General Secretary, contested the 2019 Chennai North Lok Sabha seat but lost to DMK’s Kalanidhi Veerasamy.

R Rangarajan (2005-batch IAS)

A former Assam cadre IAS officer, Rangarajan joined MNM in 2018 and contested the 2019 Chennai South Lok Sabha polls, though unsuccessfully.

Santosh Babu (1995-batch IAS)

A doctor-turned-IAS officer, Babu took VRS in 2020, joined MNM, and contested the 2021 Velachery Assembly election but did not win. Left mainstream politics citing personal reasons.

K Annamalai (2011-batch IPS)

Resigning as Karnataka SP in 2019, Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 and has become a prominent figure in Tamil Nadu. Though he is no more the party's TN unit head, he enjoys much clout.

Sasikanth Senthil (2009-batch IAS)

A former Karnataka cadre IAS officer, Senthil joined Congress and won the 2024 Thiruvallur Lok Sabha seat by a record 5,72,155-vote margin, aligning with Rahul Gandhi’s team.