Palaniswami as CM, Vijay as Deputy CM: Prashant Kishor’s Key Proposal

Election strategist Prashant Kishor has reportedly suggested that AIADMK chief and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should be the Chief Ministerial candidate, while actor-turned-politician Vijay should assume the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Vijay, who leads the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), has enlisted the expertise of Prashant Kishor for electoral strategy. The Tamil actor has previously declared both the DMK and BJP as his political adversaries. According to sources, Kishor has advised Vijay to consider an alliance with AIADMK, emphasizing that only a coalition with a party that has a strong and stable voter base can effectively challenge the ruling DMK.

Reports suggest that Kishor has already initiated discussions with AIADMK on this matter. According to his calculations, AIADMK currently holds around 25% of the vote share, while TVK could secure up to 20%. If other parties are brought into the alliance, they could potentially cross the 50% vote threshold.

Kishor is also said to have drawn parallels to Andhra Pradesh politics, explaining to Vijay how the alliance between Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan in Andhra Pradesh resulted in electoral success. He has reportedly suggested that a similar strategy—aligning TVK with AIADMK—could yield a victorious outcome in Tamil Nadu.

As part of this strategy, Kishor is believed to have recommended that Palaniswami be the Chief Ministerial candidate while Vijay assumes the Deputy Chief Minister role. Sources within TVK indicate that Vijay has responded positively to Kishor’s suggestions.