Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay has appointed his personal astrologer, Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, as the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister with immediate effect.
The terms and conditions of his post 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 dated May 12 read.
Vettrivel had predicted that the TVK and Vijay would come into power a year ago in a ‘tsunami victory’. He also pointed to the TVK's name, saying that it aligns strongly with numerological and astrological principles tied to Vijay's birth details.
Pandit is also known for advising the Vijay on auspicious times for key political events, such as the oath 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".
Radhan Pandit is also known to be associated with former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who used to consult him on important matters.
The astrologer is known to be associated with Vijay in political circles and has been seen beside him in several political and personal events in recent years.
OSD posts generally involve political coordination, laison work and handling assignments directly linked to the Chief Minister’s office.
The astrologer has become a familiar face in politics after he appeared in political discussions related to the TVK. He has also appeared in TV debates and media interactions where he mixes astrology to political commentary.
