Published Aug 23, 2026 | 12:24 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 23, 2026 | 1:23 PM
Devan will soon meet the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief Vijay in Chennai to finalise his role.
Actor Devan has joined Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) after quitting as BJP Kerala vice-president. He is likely to be appointed as the party’s Kerala president or coordinator.
Devan said he left the BJP as its political approach did not align with the ideals of Sree Narayana Guru. He backed Vijay’s vision, saying many young Keralites seek a similar political alternative.
According to sources, TVK, which currently has a presence only in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, plans to expand across South India. Kerala is said to be among its key targets.
Devan will soon meet the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief Vijay in Chennai to finalise his role.
The actor, who was serving as the BJP’s state vice president, quit its primary membership on August 16.
He made the announcement at a programme at Kanichukulangara temple, citing issues he faced during the last elections.
He had said then that his resignation letter had already been prepared and would be submitted to the BJP state leadership.
Devan founded the People’s Party in 2004. He later renamed it as Nava Kerala People’s Party in 2020. A year later, he merged the party with the BJP following a meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah.
He had contested the 2004 Wadakkanchery by-election as the party candidate.
Devan is also the nephew of Ramu Kariat, the director of Chemmeen, which won Malayalam cinema its first National Award.
Kariat’s daughter Suma is his wife. He reportedly made his debut in films after being approached by a producer at Chennai’s Spencer Plaza, India’s oldest shopping mall. In a career that began in 1985, he has acted in over 200 films.
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(With inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
