Aadhav Arjuna

Born on April 12, 1982, in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, Aadhav Arjuna hails from an agricultural family. His father, Rajendran, was a farmer, and his mother, Kalyani, an educated homemaker, supported the family. He experienced the loss of his mother at a young age and was subsequently raised by his uncle, grandmother, and later, his stepmother, Thilagavathi, who was the first female IPS officer from Tamil Nadu.

Arjuna attended Ramakrishna Mission School in Trichy, where he developed a passion for basketball during his 10th grade. He pursued higher education at Madras Christian College (MCC) in Chennai, earning a degree in Political Science with the support of a merit scholarship. He also holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the same institution.

His career began as a national-level basketball player for Tamil Nadu. He transitioned into sports administration, becoming the General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association in 2017 and later its President in 2021. In 2021, he also took on the role of General Secretary for the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association. A significant milestone in his sports administration career was his election as President of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) on July 5, 2023, after winning 38 out of 39 votes.

Beyond sports, Arjuna is an entrepreneur. In 2016, he founded ARISE Investments (later Arise Capital), an initiative aimed at empowering rural women through financial inclusion, though he stepped down from this role in 2024 to dedicate himself to politics.

Arjuna's political journey started by contributing to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) electoral success, playing a key role in their campaigns from 2015 onwards, including the 2021 Assembly Elections. He founded 'One Mind India' in 2019 for electoral data analysis and campaign development, and was instrumental in bringing Prashant Kishor's I-PAC team to collaborate with the DMK. He also established 'Voice of Commons,' a political research and advocacy platform.

In 2023-2024, he joined the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and quickly rose to become its Deputy General Secretary. However, he was suspended from the VCK on December 9, 2024, for making remarks against dynastic politics while sharing a stage with actor Vijay. Following his suspension, he resigned from the VCK on December 15, 2024.

On January 31, 2025, Aadhav Arjuna officially joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor Vijay, and was appointed as the General Secretary of Election Campaign Management, making him the highest-ranking official after the president.

Arjuna is married to Daisy Martin Aadhav Arjuna, the daughter of businessman Santiago Martin, known as the 'Lottery King' of Tamil Nadu. He has faced controversies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on his properties and those of his father-in-law in 2024 concerning a money laundering investigation and a loan taken by ARISE Capital. In September 2025, he was booked by Tamil Nadu police for a controversial social media post calling for a 'GenZ Revolution' after a stampede at a TVK rally.