As Prashant Kishor meets Vijay, buzz of a realignment in Tamil Nadu politics

“Arjuna had promised to facilitate the gathering and helium kept his word. Nothing much should beryllium work into it. This is not astir a strategist advising a person but a treatment betwixt 2 leaders who launched their respective parties past year,” a elder TVK person told The Indian Express.

The TVK has announced it volition statesman full-fledged predetermination activities aft completing its interior structuring. Vijay volition embark connected a statewide circuit successful aboriginal March portion Arjuna, backed by his governmental strategy steadfast Voice of Common, is reportedly overseeing information postulation and readying the party’s expansion.

That the Vijay-Kishor gathering comes astatine a clip erstwhile the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a steadfast Kishor erstwhile helmed, is adjacent to finalising a woody with the AIADMK has besides triggered speculation astir a imaginable TVK-AIADMK alliance. A apical AIADMK person said if the talks succeed, the enactment mightiness motion an statement with I-PAC connected February 24, the commencement day of enactment stalwart Jayalalithaa.

However, a adjacent subordinate of Kishor, who is privy to the talks chose to gully a wide enactment betwixt his governmental travel and I-PAC. “He is nary longer a governmental strategist. He is simply a politician. We person categorically conveyed to the AIADMK that helium cannot enactment for them arsenic a advisor aft launching his party. But the AIADMK is escaped to usage I-PAC’s services,” said Kishor’s associate.

Kishor announced his “retirement” from governmental consulting aft his steadfast helped the Trinamool Congress to its 3rd consecutive triumph successful the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. He floated the Jan Suraaj Party connected October 2 past year.

While Vijay is trying to represent his enactment arsenic a youth-driven alternate to the Dravidian parties, the AIADMK is looking to regain mislaid ground. The BJP, which is anxious to grow its footprint successful the state, is presently lying debased but is manoeuvring down the scenes to guarantee that the anti-DMK forces bash not devour into each other’s votes.

The BJP’s involvement has fixed upwind to the TVK-AIADMK confederation talks. A elder AIADMK person said that portion the enactment remains non-committal to the thought of an alliance, lobbying is underway astatine the “Delhi level” to propulsion for an understanding.

“Arjuna has been pushing for the alliance. The BJP would beryllium blessed adjacent if we articulation forces with Vijay and not state with them,” the person said. “But the confederation volition materialise lone if Vijay acknowledges the AIADMK arsenic a formidable force. He cannot locomotion into an confederation portion treating america arsenic adjacent to his months-old party. Right now, Edappadi K Palaniswami is ambiguous astir it. We volition hold and see.”

Another AIADMK person suggested that arsenic planned by Arjuna, Kishor could beryllium influencing Vijay’s determination from down the scenes. “We cannot regularisation retired Kishor advising Vijay to align with the AIADMK. If the TVK goes it alone, the Opposition ballot would beryllium splintered owed to the beingness of the AIADMK, BJP and Seeman’s NTK. This would enactment successful the DMK’s favour,” the person said.

In 2021 too, the AIADMK considered moving with Kishor, who was past helming I-PAC but the DMK leveraged the firm’s expertise and secured a resounding triumph successful the polls. In caller interviews, Arjuna, who was past with the DMK, has taken recognition for bringing Kishor to the DMK camp.