Did Kharge’s quiet outreach help Vijay bring smaller parties into TVK fold?

With Vijay now having formally taken Oath with the political plunge as new CM, many see that he has begun consolidating TVK's majority, and early indications suggest that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge played a discreet but important role in helping him bring smaller parties into the fold.

According to political sources, Kharge used Congress’s established networks in Tamil Nadu to ease outreach between TVK and key fringe but influential players, particularly those with strong caste and grassroots bases. Among them, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) emerged as a crucial link, given its mobilisational strength among Dalit voters and its history of alliance flexibility.

The effort was less about formal coalition-building at this stage and more about trust-building and political signalling. Kharge’s intervention reportedly helped reassure these parties about Vijay’s seriousness, ideological positioning, and willingness to accommodate regional interests within a broader anti-BJP framework.

For Vijay, who is attempting to transition from mass appeal to structured politics, this early backing has been critical in avoiding isolation and gaining organisational depth. For Congress, facilitating this alignment allows it to remain embedded in Tamil Nadu’s evolving political equations without being at the forefront.

SP’s ‘Symbol Swap’ Strategy: Akhilesh pushes Congress candidates on cycle for 2027

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is sharpening the contours of “Mission Fateh 2027” with a clear directive to allies especially the Congress that cohesion must outweigh ego in western Uttar Pradesh. His core message is blunt: defeating the BJP takes precedence over traditional concerns like seat-sharing or party symbols.

At the heart of this strategy is a flexible electoral formula that could see Congress candidates contesting on the Samajwadi Party’s cycle symbol in key constituencies. The idea draws from the 2024 Lok Sabha template, where SP-Congress coordination and tactical clarity helped blunt the BJP’s dominance. Yadav is now pushing to institutionalize that approach for the 2027 assembly elections.

Party insiders indicate that winnability not party identity will drive ticket allocation. In several seats, the alliance may deploy candidates based on local strength, even if it means symbol-sharing arrangements such as SP symbol–Congress candidate or vice versa. This hybrid model is aimed at consolidating anti-BJP votes while minimizing fragmentation on the ground. The broader objective is to present a seamless opposition front, where electoral arithmetic and on-ground viability override rigid party lines to decisively challenge the BJP.

Bihar New CM Samrat Choudhary has good hold over bureaucracy

Bihar new CM Samrat Choudhary is considered to have a good hold over bureaucracy. In Bureaucratic circles he is being seen as a capable choice and regarded as a bold and confident leader.