A two-hour interview with a senior Chennai-based journalist on Monday has put one name back in Tamil Nadu’s political talk. The Kapil Sahu TVK strategist debate is trending again. It follows claims about who really ran Vijay’s winning campaign.
The journalist spoke about internal politics in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) after its debut win. According to him, some people close to Vijay have tried to project that they managed the entire election. He said the real work was done by Sahu and his team. These claims come from one account and have not been independently confirmed.
He said the team had more than 150 people. They reportedly worked out of Tamil Nadu for nearly 18 months. He also said the team ran four key areas: election strategy, survey and data, media, and digital outreach. Soon after the clip spread, Sahu’s name began trending in political circles.
Who Is Kapil Sahu?
Sahu has more than 10 years in election strategy. He began at I-PAC, where he handled planning, messaging and ground mobilisation. Reports say he left two years ago with 12 core team members after the Delhi campaign.
Before TVK, he reportedly worked across nine states. For example, he led the Sikkim Democratic Front campaign in 2019. He was also part of Raghav Chadha’s team in Delhi in 2020. In addition, he headed strategic communications in the office of former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr C.N. Ashwathnarayan.
Colleagues say he focuses on the booth. His idea is simple: win the booth and you win the seat. Sources say this approach helped TVK in urban seats such as Chennai, where first-time voters wanted something new.
What About VOC?
The journalist also explained the role of VOC, which is linked to TVK. He said Sahu’s team prepared the strategy and survey reports. Then TVK cadres, working with VOC, took them to the ground. In his view, this mix of a professional team and a fan-based cadre gave TVK its numbers.
What Remains Disputed
The credit for TVK’s win is not settled. Earlier reports also named other strategists, including Prashant Kishor and John Arokiasamy, as having worked with Vijay. Moreover, Sahu has made no public statement. TVK has not confirmed who did what.
Sources close to the party say its leadership knows who did what on the ground. With TVK now preparing for its next phase, some insiders expect Sahu’s role to grow.
