Vijay vs Rahul Gandhi: TVK-Congress tussle over PM candidate continues
A political disagreement has emerged within Tamil Nadu’s ruling alliance after some Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) legislators publicly projected Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
TVK MLA Kanimozhi said the party’s goal was to see Vijay rise to the national level and claimed that Tamil Nadu, rather than Delhi, would ultimately determine who occupies the Prime Minister’s post.
Speaking to reporters outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the Kavundampalayam MLA said Vijay could bring a major shift to national politics. She also expressed confidence that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would support Vijay’s national ambitions in 2029, just as she credited Gandhi’s support with helping Vijay become Chief Minister.
Congress, however, has rejected any suggestion that its position has changed. Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert said Rahul Gandhi continues to be the party’s Prime Ministerial choice for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. She described the pro-Vijay remarks from some of the newer TVK legislators as enthusiasm among party cadres rather than an indication of any change in alliance policy.
Cuthbert pointed out that Vijay himself had previously acknowledged Rahul Gandhi as the alliance’s proposed Prime Ministerial candidate. She said individual MLAs expressing admiration for their leader should not be interpreted as a formal change in strategy.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B. Manickam Tagore also played down the controversy, suggesting that political opponents were using such statements as a distraction. He compared predictions about future political developments to those made by astrology channels.
TVK MLA I. Thahira, meanwhile, remained firm in his support for Vijay, saying that the people would ultimately decide and expressing confidence that Vijay would become Prime Minister. Energy, Resources and Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar said there was no dispute between TVK and Congress over the matter.
Neither Vijay nor the TVK headquarters has issued a formal statement on the latest remarks. The party has also not officially joined the INDIA bloc, although Congress is part of the state government.