Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: With TVK projected to secure a historic mandate in Tamil Nadu, an old video of political strategist Prashant Kishor has gone viral on social media.In the clip, Kishor responds to a question on TVK’s electoral prospects, saying data suggested that if Vijay contested alone, “he stands a very good chance… I don’t mean win seats, I mean win Tamil Nadu.”
“My understanding and suggest and data suggest that if he goes alone he stands a very good chance. You’d be surprised. I dont mean win seats I mean win Tamil Nadu. Keep this video and play it when results come out. He stands a very good chance provided he puts in the effort and the number of hours. If AIADMK goes with the BJP and the DMK alliance holds the way it is and TVK fights alone, take it in writing that he (Vijay) stands a very good chance,” Kishor said in the clip.In early 2025, Kishor was tipped to be an adviser to Vijay’s TVK party however he later backed out citing his duties as Jan Suraaj’s party chief, with the party contesting Bihar polls in 2025, where it ultimately won zero seats.Early trends on Monday appear to echo that assessment. TVK has surged ahead, leading in close to 100 constituencies, leaving behind the state’s traditional heavyweights, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Vijay himself is comfortably ahead in Tiruchirappalli (East), while his party has made significant inroads into Chennai, long considered a DMK stronghold.Senior DMK figures, including chief minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, are trailing in their respective seats. Stalin is currently behind TVK’s V S Babu in Kolathur, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the ruling party. The DMK-led alliance is leading in fewer than 50 seats, far below expectations set by most exit polls.The AIADMK-led alliance remains in second place, though it too trails the momentum generated by TVK. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has struggled, with several prominent leaders, including L Murugan and Tamilisai Soundararajan, falling behind in their constituencies.Celebrations have already begun among TVK supporters, with party workers gathering in large numbers, playing Vijay’s popular ‘whistle podu’ song as leads widened. If the current trends hold, Vijay’s party could deliver one of the most dramatic electoral upsets in the state’s history, challenging the decades-long dominance of the DMK-AIADMK duopoly.
