With the 2026 assembly election a little more than a year ahead, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay had a discussion with poll strategist and Jan Suraksha Party (JSP) president Prashant Kishore at the former’s residence in suburban Chennai on Monday, sparking speculation in political circles.
Interestingly, the meeting comes amidst reports of the fledgling TVK holding informal parleys with the principal opposition, AIADMK, for a tie-up for the assembly poll. TVK senior functionaries were present during the meeting, which lasted for about two and half hours at the Neelankarai residence of the actor-neta.
Vijay, is engaged in the process of appointing district 120 secretaries for the 234 assembly constituencies. It is yet to be completed.
According to party sources, the political situation in Tamil Nadu as well as national political context besides election strategy to be adopted for the upcoming election to the assembly were discussed with Kishor giving his inputs.
However, no agreement has been entered so far to hire Kishor to work for the TVK, the sources added. And the TVK has already roped in an election specialist in John Arockiasamy.
Further, Aadhav Arjuna, another poll strategist, who had quit the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) of Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, an ally of the DMK, had been inducted into the TVK and appointed as General Secretary, entrusted with the party’s election campaign.
Though the TVK had tried to engage Kishor even before the party organised its first state conference in October last year, the meeting could take place only now. The acclaimed poll strategist, who has taken the plunge in Bihar politics, is not new to Tamil Nadu as he had worked for the DMK in the past.
According to sources, it was Aadhav Arjuna, who runs an election strategy firm, Voice of Common, who had played a key role in bringing Kishor to meet Vijay. Only the other day, the TVK reiterated its position that the party was open to an alliance with parties which accepted the leadership of Vijay as the Chief Ministerial candidate.