Political strategist Prashant Kishor; actor-politician Vijay
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: Ace political strategist Prashant Kishor is likely to advise and devise political strategies for actor Vijay’s fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) for its debut assembly elections in 2026.
Kishor flew down to Chennai on Monday and met Vijay for about two hours during which senior functionaries of the TVK and the actor-politician’s advisors were present.
“Kishor is likely to be special advisor to Vijay to devise political strategies,” a source privy to the development told DH. The source added that Kishor, who heads Jan Suraaj Party in Bihar, will work closely with Vijay in the run up to and during the 2026 assembly elections.
It is learnt that Kishor will advise TVK in his personal capacity as a strategist and politician and not part of I-PAC. The meeting between Kishor and Vijay was facilitated by Aadhav Arjuna, who himself heads a political strategy firm, within a fortnight of the latter joining the TVK.
“Vijay already has a political strategy firm that is advising him and that set up will not be disturbed at all. Kishor will be a special advisor,” the source added.
The meeting between the two and the outcome signify the importance Vijay attaches to the 2026 assembly polls, his first elections after a grand entry into politics in October 2024. Vijay has identified the BJP as his ideological enemy and DMK as his political enemy and has been criticising Tamil Nadu’s ruling party on several issues.
The development comes after Arjuna, who was suspended from Dalit outfit VCK following his outbursts against DMK, was inducted into the TVK and appointed as General Secretary (Election Campaign Management). While appointing Arjuna, Vijay had said he would work along with his existing strategist John Arokiasamy.
Vijay joins the long list of actors who have joined politics in Tamil Nadu starting from M G Ramachandran to J Jayalalithaa to Sivaji Ganesan to Vijayakanth, and Kamal Haasan.
While the first two made it big in politics like in the silver screen, the last three couldn’t register much success, though Vijayakanth briefly altered the bipolar politics in the state. Superstar Rajinikanth didn’t enter politics citing his ill-health after promising to launch a party and contest the 2021 elections.
Vijay’s political plunge is gutsy as no actor could recreate the MGR magic in about four decades in a state where over 75 per cent of the vote share is controlled by DMK and AIADMK, the Dravidian majors who have been ruling the state alternatively since 1967.