Thalapathi:

Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay’s meeting with political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor at his Chennai residence on Monday afternoon has the rumour mills abuzz.

Though sources in Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party downplayed Kishor’s visit, which was facilitated by the party’s election campaign head Aadhav Arjuna, terming it a “courtesy call”, political circles are speculating about how the two joining forces might reshape the contours of the Opposition in the state ahead of the Assembly polls next year.

“Arjuna had promised to facilitate the meeting and he kept his word. Nothing more should be read into it. This is not about a strategist advising a politician but a discussion between two leaders who launched their respective parties last year,” a

The TVK has announced it will begin full-fledged election activities after completing its internal structuring. Vijay will embark on a statewide tour in early March while Arjuna, backed by his political strategy firm Voice of Common, is reportedly overseeing data collection and planning the party’s expansion.

That the Vijay-Kishor meeting comes at a time when the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a firm Kishor once helmed, is close to finalising a deal with the AIADMK has also triggered speculation about a possible TVK-AIADMK alliance. A top AIADMK leader said if the talks succeed, the party might sign an agreement with I-PAC on February 24, the birth anniversary of party stalwart Jayalalithaa.

However, a close associate of Kishor, who is privy to the talks chose to draw a clear line between his political journey and I-PAC. “He is no longer a political strategist. He is a politician. We have categorically conveyed to the AIADMK that he cannot work for them as a consultant after launching his party. But the AIADMK is free to use I-PAC’s services,” said Kishor’s associate.

Kishor announced his “retirement” from political consulting after his firm helped the Trinamool Congress to its third consecutive victory in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. He floated the Jan Suraaj Party on October 2 last year.

While Vijay is trying to portray his party as a youth-driven alternative to the Dravidian parties, the AIADMK is looking to regain lost ground. The BJP, which is eager to expand its footprint in the state, is currently lying low but is manoeuvring behind the scenes to ensure that the anti-DMK forces do not eat into each other’s votes.

The BJP’s interest has given wind to the TVK-AIADMK alliance talks. A senior AIADMK leader said that while the party remains non-committal to the idea of an alliance, lobbying is underway at the “Delhi level” to push for an understanding.

“Arjuna has been pushing for the alliance. The BJP would be happy even if we join forces with Vijay and not ally with them,” the leader said. “But the alliance will materialise only if Vijay acknowledges the AIADMK as a formidable force. He cannot walk into an alliance while treating us as equal to his months-old party. Right now, Edappadi K Palaniswami is ambiguous about it. We will wait and see.”

Another AIADMK leader suggested that as planned by Arjuna, Kishor could be influencing Vijay’s decision from behind the scenes. “We cannot rule out Kishor advising Vijay to align with the AIADMK. If the TVK goes it alone, the Opposition vote would be splintered due to the presence of the AIADMK, BJP and Seeman’s NTK. This would work in the DMK’s favour,” the leader said.

In 2021 too, the AIADMK considered working with Kishor, who was then helming I-PAC but the DMK leveraged the firm’s expertise and secured a resounding victory in the polls. In recent interviews, Arjuna, who was then with the DMK, has taken credit for bringing Kishor to the DMK camp.

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