Congress thinks alliance with Vijay will yield dividends | Powertrip #149

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter curated exclusively for subscribers of The News Minute and Newslaundry. This week’s edition is by Pooja Prasanna.In this week’s edition, we spoke to Congress sources who outlined how partnering with Vijay in Tamil Nadu could give the party the political space it needs to revive itself in the long term.For those who can’t access the full newsletter, get a subscription and read every Tuesday..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes onlyCongress bets on Vijay for a long-term national resetCongress leaders privately acknowledge that partnering with Vijay in Tamil Nadu may have come at a steep political cost, most notably straining ties with the DMK and potentially triggering unease among a few other regional allies. Yet, within the party, there is a growing belief that the gamble could yield far bigger dividends, not just in Tamil Nadu but nationally as well.At the heart of the calculation is electoral arithmetic. Congress insiders believe the alliance with TVK could fetch the party significantly more Lok Sabha seats than it managed under the DMK-led arrangement. More importantly, they see Vijay as a magnet for young voters, a demographic the Congress has struggled to energise in recent years. The prospect of a joint campaign featuring Vijay alongside Rahul Gandhi is being viewed as a powerful outreach tool to reconnect with first-time and younger voters.There is also a deeper strategic rethink underway within the Congress about its future in Tamil Nadu. Many in the party feel that under the DMK alliance, Congress had little room to expand independently, contest more seats, or rebuild its organisational strength on the ground. In contrast, leaders believe that aligning with Vijay’s TVK could give the party the political space it needs to gradually revive itself in the state over the long term.The Congress also sees value in Vijay beyond Tamil Nadu. Party strategists are hoping to tap into his popularity in other parts of the country, including Goa and Maharashtra, where he is believed to enjoy a considerable fan following. The thinking is that Vijay’s appeal, especially among younger audiences, could help the party widen its cultural and political reach.Even the possibility of allies such as Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee distancing themselves in solidarity with the DMK is not causing major panic within sections of the Congress leadership. Some leaders argue that while such exits may create short-term turbulence, they could ultimately help the Congress rebuild its own cadre and reclaim political ground in states where regional allies had long overshadowed the party.At the same time, Congress believes Vijay could open doors to new alliances that were previously out of reach. One name being discussed is Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress Party. Sources suggest that Vijay and Jagan share a strong personal rapport, and exploratory efforts are already underway to bring YSRCP into the alliance. Zero HourA political story of public importanceWhy many villages oppose a programme that rewards companies that plant trees.Communities say the green credits programme has blocked them from land they once used. Meanwhile, experts argue that the government is overstating its benefits. PowermovesTop 5 political storiesKerala CM race: How Delhi’s shift to VD Satheesan has left KC Venugopal bitterSabarisan says blaming PEN alone for DMK defeat is ‘oversimplification’The untold story of the collapse of the Maoist insurgency in IndiaWhy are Dalit organisations staging an indefinite protest for the PTCL Act in Karnataka?Why anti-SIR movements must remain independent of Congress