TN parties play down buzz over PK's ‘strategy’ for Vijay's party
Playing down Kishor's association with Vijay's party, DMK leader Kanimozhi said he was an election strategist, a ‘professional’ who offered his services to political parties if solicited and her party was not concerned about it.
Election strategist Prashant Kishor and Actor-politician Vijay
CHENNAI: As the fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam led by actor-politician Vijay is buzzing with intra-party brainstorming following election strategist Prashant Kishor's involvement as a special adviser to guide the party towards victory in the Assembly election due in 2026, Tamil Nadu parties on Wednesday dismissed it as nothing unusual.
Asked on Kishor reportedly estimating that TVK may have "around 15-20 per cent vote share" and him outlining a roadmap to increase it further, DMK leader and Minister PK Sekar Babu said it was usual for every party that went to the electorate seeking votes to assert that they had 100 per cent votes on their side. In the State Assembly election due next year people are prepared to reelect "People's Chief Minister MK Stalin," and are only waiting for the election.
Playing down Kishor's association with Vijay's party, DMK leader Kanimozhi said he was an election strategist, a ‘professional’ who offered his services to political parties if solicited and her party was not concerned about it.
The DMK is dependent only on its party workers to face the elections and the party leaders and cadres are prepared to follow party chief Stalin's guidance and hence her party does not have any trouble, she added.
CPM leader K Balakrishnan said cinema popularity alone would not guarantee success in politics; Tamil Nadu people are politically conscious, and Kishor, on his own, cannot create something (support) for the TVK if that was not already available.
He wondered about Kishor's answer to the recent defeat of his own Jan Suraaj party candidates in by-polls in his home state of Bihar.
NTK chief Seeman said he had no faith in availing the services of a strategist to face polls.
DMDK top leader Premalatha Vijayakanth to a question on Kishor's involvement and if Vijay would shine in politics, said Vijay's party's progress hinged only on the TVK chief's next moves and action. On the prospects of her party aligning with the TVK, she said her party is journeying on its 20th year and the question on alliance must be posed to Vijay and reiterated that her party's alliance with the AIADMK continued.
Prashant Kishor held consultations with TVK general secretary N Anand, election management general secretary, Aadhav Arujuna and the party's political strategist John Arokiyasamy before interacting with other functionaries.
