Rahul drops in for lunch and coffee, but will Vijay join the SIR war?
Their first meeting since Vijay became CM comes a day before he shares a stage with Modi, and hours after his cops detained activists over anti-CEC protests
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay on Saturday (October 10) hosted Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at his Neelangarai, Chennai residence. It was the first meeting between the two since Vijay took over as Chief Minister.
Rahul is in Chennai to hold the sixth edition of the Congress party's youth outreach programme, Chhatron Ki Goonj. His meeting with Vijay included a private lunch, followed by coffee at Bask Cafe on the East Coast Road in Palavakkam. Vijay welcomed Rahul with a bouquet and warm greetings, and the two held a one-on-one discussion on the alliance’s next course of action, according to sources.
Massive SIR protests
The timing gives the meeting added weight. Youth-led protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are continuing in Delhi and other cities, including Chennai. At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, protesters under the CJP banner are also demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul has been vocal on the issue, participating in protests earlier this week at the same venue. Vijay, by contrast, has so far not voiced a position on either, which makes his willingness to host Rahul all the more closely watched.
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In fact, earlier today, Chennai Police arrested over 100 members of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) who were leading a march demanding the removal of Gyanesh Kumar. The AISF and AIYF are the student wing and youth wing respectively of the CPI, which provides outside support to the TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
Bypoll results
The meeting also comes immediately after the Dharapuram and Maduratakam bypoll results. The TVK won both, but by a thin margin in the former.
Senior journalist Tharasu Shyam described the two leaders as sharing a good personal rapport and said the meeting, amid widespread youth protests, has acquired national significance. He noted that doubts over whether Vijay’s party is firmly within the INDIA bloc may be resolved by this engagement, and that Rahul could invite Vijay to join the SIR-related protests.
“Until now, Vijay had avoided meeting Rahul; now that he has, it marks progress in the alliance. We will have to see how the two travel together,” Shyam said.
Political observer Dayalan Shanmugam pointed out that the meeting appears to have been fixed even before the bypoll results. He argued that had the TVK performed strongly on its own, Vijay’s bargaining position would have been stronger. That the meeting still went ahead, he suggested, indicates that Vijay’s side may have anticipated the outcome and chosen to engage. “Rahul needs Vijay, and Vijay needs Rahul,” he said.
Neutral stance
The meeting also raises questions about Vijay’s political positioning. The TVK had previously stayed outside the INDIA bloc but took part in alliance-related meetings last week. At the same time, Vijay is scheduled to share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a full day of events tomorrow.
Analysts see a dual-track approach: firming up an understanding with the Opposition while avoiding immediate friction with the BJP leadership at the Centre.
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Whether Vijay will formally join the SIR protests or keep his options open remains unclear. “Vijay wants to maintain a good relationship with the BJP for a smooth sail. With Modi’s visit drawing significant attention, we have to closely watch how Vijay balances the optics of the two meetings in the coming days,” Dhayalan said.
For now, the meeting is being seen as a significant step in the relationship between the two leaders, and a potential signal of closer coordination between the TVK and the Congress-led Opposition at the national level, even as Vijay continues to navigate his equation with the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
