Prashant Kishor interview: Why he says no to TVK's aligning with AIADMK, what he thinks of Vijay's chance in 2026 Assembly polls

CHENNAI: Political strategist and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor predicts that actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam stands a good chance to emerge victorious in the ensuing Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in 2026 if he puts efforts and build the party from ground up. Kishor, who helped the DMK return to power in 2021 State polls, has joined hands with actor Vijay and attended TVK’s anniversary event. Edited excerpts from his interview to Thanthi TV:

Q: What is the correct description of your current association with Vijay? Are you his friend? Are you his political ally? Or advisor?

Certainly not advisor. We are friends, we are brothers, and we are comrades in arms, for a purpose which brings us together. That purpose is to create a new political alternative, starting with Bihar and Tamil Nadu.

Q: In your assessment, what is TVK's biggest challenge and its weakness?

Well, the biggest challenge would be to build a political infrastructure… he has euphoric support among the masses, but to convert that support into vote, you need the political infrastructure. And that is what is going to be a big challenge.

Q: Fans might like him as an actor. They might whistle for him for his movies, but they might have different political leanings…

Now they are assessing him as a political leader. They are not going and meeting him or listening to him at one of his movie premieres. They are coming to his political meetings and listening to him.

Q: And the other assessment is that he has too little exposure in the political stage. Is it enough to make five or six speeches?

No. It may not be enough… he has to rigorously campaign. He has to go to the masses. He has to tour the State. He has to go to every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu. As he goes there, he will be speaking.

Q: That way, he has so far been assessed as a ‘part-time politician’…

It appears to me that he is committed to being a full-time politician. He's just finishing one of his last assignments, and what I gathered is that he would be free in a matter of a month or forty-five days. Once he's free, then he's going to be a full-time politician in terms of physical presence among the masses. In his mind, probably, he already is a full-time.

Q: A popular narrative in Tamil Nadu is that for him to have any impact, to get a sizable number of seats or even any seats, he has to tie up with the AIADMK. That is his natural option…

I put that assessment in the dustbin. That's like you're trying to make a future prediction looking in the rear view mirror.

Q: But, what about the arithmetic reality? The DMK alliance has 47% vote...

Arithmetic is what has happened in the past. It's not guaranteed that it will continue to be the same in the future. You know, 10 years ago, the arithmetic reality would have told you that BJP would not get any vote in Tamil Nadu.

Q: Vijay and also AIADMK leadership have conspicuously not criticised each other. Why do you think it is so?

You have to ask them. I'm not privy to why they are criticising or why they are not criticising.

Q: So for now, you see Vijay as going alone? He will not be a junior partner?

I'm not seeing any alliance right now…at least not till December.

Q: Will AIADMK prefer an alliance with TVK?

Based on my understanding, AIADMK would always prefer an alliance with whoever is fighting or is against DMK. For that, you don't have to be privy to any private conversation, it is like a common assessment. But TVK will go alone, that much I'm sure.

Q: This is for now or this could change before the elections?

Before the election, I don't know. But if it changes, it will be a common decision which we would take in January or February.

Q: Are you keeping this under the wrap so that nobody plays spoilsport?

We will stick to our agenda. We will stick to our goal to go it alone. We will do everything that is needed. Now in Tamil Nadu, let him (Vijay) start, and we'll see in the next six, eight months. And then we'll make a public announcement about whether we are going to go alone or we will have somebody as an ally. But as things stand, we're going alone.

Q: You think if both Vijay and AIADMK go alone, Vijay could still be the beneficiary of the anti-incumbency votes?

Absolutely. Just let me draw a hypothetical scenario. AIADMK goes with BJP and PMK. DMK goes with this present alliance, with [Udhayanidhi Stalin] as a future face of DMK alliance. People who do not want to vote for DMK’s second generation or third generation would have voted for AIADMK, but they don't want to because that party is in alliance with BJP.

So where would they go? They would go for a new, fresher alternative called Vijay and TVK. So, you know, anything is possible. If AIADMK allies with BJP, then TVK is also taking all the anti-BJP votes.

Q: Considering all the risks, would it not be expedient for both these parties, Vijay and AIADMK, to come together?

Well, again, you are purely talking on basic arithmetic. It makes sense on paper that if Vijay and AIADMK come together, it will make great sense. But if Vijay allies with AIADMK, then the whole novelty factor also goes away.

Q: If Vijay doesn't align with the AIADMK, do you think the only natural choice for AIADMK to have an alliance is with BJP?

Well, it is for the AIADMK leadership to decide. But to my mind, anyone in Tamil Nadu aligning with BJP would have to carefully weigh how positive it is going to be and how much baggage it brings, especially in a State Assembly election.

Q: What does data suggest in terms of TVK's prospects for now at least?

My understanding and data suggest that if he goes alone, he stands a very good chance. Keep this video and play it when the result comes in Tamil Nadu. He stands a very good chance provided he puts in the effort and the number of hours, and we are able to build a political infrastructure around him.

He stands a very good chance if AIADMK goes with BJP, DMK alliance holds the way it is, and TVK fights alone. Take it in writing. He stands a very good chance provided next 10-12 months, he slogs, and he does what is expected of him as a politician.