Chennai: Final week, a gathering between Vijay, an actor-turned-politician and chief of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), and Praveen Chakravarty, an in depth aide of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and a Congress strategist, induced a stir in Tamil Nadu politics. Praveen Chakravarti informed ThePrint that though he had met Mr. Vijay, it was not essentially associated to any political agenda.
“Not each assembly essentially has a proposal,” he informed ThePrint over the telephone.
“It might have been an off-the-cuff assembly to take pleasure in idlis, vadas and dosas, or it might have been a gathering to speak about movies. A mere assembly just isn’t an offence, except a press release in regards to the alliance is made,” Praveen informed ThePrint.
The chairman of the All India Council of Specialists and head of the convention knowledge evaluation division met Mr. Vijay at his workplace in Patinapakkam on December 5. The assembly instantly sparked speak of whether or not the Congress was exploring a doable understanding with Mr. Vijay’s TVK or whether or not Mr. Praveen himself was getting ready to change sides.
Nonetheless, Praveen dismissed the speculations and mentioned that he won’t be part of TVK. “I’ve no plans to hitch TVK,” he informed ThePrint.
Praveen Chakravarti joined the get together through the Rahul Gandhi-led restructuring section that sought to usher in technocrats, coverage consultants and knowledge consultants into the mainstream political technique. As Head of Parliamentary Information Analytics, he performed a central function in shaping the get together’s voter-level knowledge programs and marketing campaign insights. Because of his closeness to the get together excessive command, his identify has usually been floated as a doable candidate for the submit of Prime Minister of India. Nonetheless, this proposal was by no means formally carried out.
In Tamil Nadu, TNCC sources mentioned Chakravarthy was additionally seen as a robust contender for the Miraduthurai Meeting seat in 2024. Nonetheless, though his affect throughout the get together’s organizational and strategic construction continued to develop, it by no means progressed past early deliberations.
Hypothesis that Congress is exploring a doable partnership with TVK just isn’t new. Ever since Congress chief Rahul Gandhi referred to as on Vijay after the Karur riots, there was speak of a doable realignment of alliances within the state forward of the 2026 meeting elections.
Praveen Chakravarty additionally informed ThePrint that the media has been reporting on a doable alliance between Congress and TVK for a number of months. “In fact, that is the media’s job. We do not touch upon that,” he mentioned.
Requested whether or not the Congress management had requested him in regards to the cause for his assembly with Vijay, he mentioned, “Mere assembly itself doesn’t quantity to any crime.”
When requested in regards to the assembly, TNCC Secretary Selvaperuntagay claimed he was not conscious of it. “There are solely speculations and we do not actually know if there was such a gathering. It has been a number of months since I spoke to him. Provided that the assembly is confirmed, we might be able to ask the management for an evidence,” Selvaperuntagay informed ThePrint.
Mr. Praveen additionally denied that his assembly with Mr. Vijay had induced any discomfort throughout the DMK-led alliance within the state.
“Did anybody in Congress make any assertion? Did anybody from the allied events say something in regards to the alliance?” he requested. “No. There isn’t any confusion or rigidity throughout the Alliance.”
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan was assured that the Indian alliance was intact and the opposition events have been making an attempt to create friction with hypothesis over talks. “A committee will quickly be arrange by our leaders to start out alliance negotiations, however till then individuals will proceed to take a position. However this victorious alliance is unbroken,” Elangovan informed ThePrint.
Regardless of disagreements amongst leaders of India’s blocs, political analysts within the state say the Congress’ technique could possibly be to barter a greater distribution of seats within the 2026 parliamentary elections.
“Not simply the Congress, even the VCK and the Left events have variations over the insurance policies of the DMK authorities. Nonetheless, they need to be part of this alliance as they’ve a greater likelihood of successful. Nonetheless, they could use the technique of interacting with a number of individuals to win extra seats within the upcoming meeting elections,” assistant professor and political analyst Ok. Chandrasekhar informed ThePrint.
The controversy over latest speculations has been within the highlight because the assembly was held days after the All India Congress Committee constituted a five-member committee headed by Girish Chodankar to barter an alliance with the DMK. On December 3, the committee met DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai to start formal discussions for the 2026 meeting elections within the state.
A senior DMK chief confirmed to ThePrint that the DMK management will kind a committee comprising senior leaders and ministers, together with ministers Thangam Thennarasu and KN Nehru, after December 15.
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has shortlisted as many as 125 constituencies the place the Congress has the potential to win seats and entice expertise to marketing campaign for the elections. TNCC insiders informed ThePrint that they’re on the lookout for extra seats within the subsequent elections than within the 2021 parliamentary elections.
In 2021, the Congress contested 25 seats and received 18. Sources say the get together is aiming to win a minimum of 39 seats within the 2026 parliamentary elections.
(Edited by Vinny Mishra)
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