Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, the personal astrologer of Joseph Vijay, has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister with immediate effect. According to a Tamil Nadu government order, the terms and conditions of Vettrivel's appointment will be announced later.

"Thiru Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel is appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister (Political) with effect from the date of joining. The terms and conditions in this regard will be issued separately," the order read. 

He is recognised for predicting a "tsunami victory" for the actor-politician's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the recent Tamil Nadu assembly polls. 

He also pointed to the TVK's name, saying that it aligns strongly with numerological and astrological principles tied to Vijay's birth details. The term "tsunami victory" quickly gained traction in TVK's larger political narrative after the state's two Dravidian parties — DMK and AIADMK — suffered major setbacks, and Vijay's political debut exceeded expectations.

Radhan Pandit is also known for advising Vijay on auspicious times for key political events such as the swearing-in ceremony. 

Vijay initially fixed his oath-taking ceremony for May 10 at 3:45 pm, but later shifted it to 10 am on the advice of Vettrivel due to an auspicious "muhurat".

Besides this, he also plays an active political role as a spokesperson for TVK. Pandit frequently participated in media debates where he combined astrology with political commentary. 

He has often likened Vijay's political prospects with that of MK Stalin and Edappadi K Palanisami, presenting the actor-politician as a potential future Chief Minister. He often suggested that Vijay has unusually strong "planetary support" for leadership. 

Soon after the results, Pandit met Vijay at his Chennai residence to congratulate him. He has also been associated with former CM J Jayalalithaa, who consulted him on key decisions. 

Published on: May 12, 2026 2:19 PM IST