The latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey has placed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay among the leading choices for prime minister, giving fresh momentum to the TVK’s “Vijay for PM” campaign. The narrative has faced strong opposition from the DMK as well as Congress, which is an ally of Vijay’s party.
DMK leader RS Bharathi ridiculed the TVK’s claims, saying there was “no limit to their imagination”. Congress, meanwhile, warned that its ministers could leave Vijay’s cabinet if the TVK does not support Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Vijay secured third place in the latest Mood of the Nation survey, released on August 28, which gauges voter preferences assuming a general election were held today. He ranked behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Responding to the TVK’s push for Vijay as a potential prime minister, DMK secretary Bharathi sarcastically said party workers could eventually claim that Vijay would become even the head of the United Nations.
“Imagination, imagination, there is no limit to their imagination. Let them think whatever they want,” he said.
Bharathi also questioned the implications of promoting Vijay for prime minister while Rahul Gandhi remains Congress’s preferred candidate. Congress and TVK are currently coalition partners in Tamil Nadu.
“If party members say that he will become the Prime Minister, they have already decided that it will not be Rahul Gandhi, haven’t they?” Bharathi asked.
He challenged Congress workers to publicly acknowledge if they had decided Rahul Gandhi would not become prime minister, adding that they should instead continue supporting their preferred leader.
CONGRESS WARNS OF CABINET EXIT
Congress minister in Vijay’s cabinet Rajesh Kumar dismissed the growing speculation and said his party had already settled on its position for the 2029 general election.
He said Congress ministers would resign from the Tamil Nadu cabinet if TVK refused to endorse Rahul Gandhi for prime minister.
“All the ministers claim that our Chief Minister is the next Prime Minister. Media friends constantly ask me about this, and I want to make it clear, our leader Rahul Gandhi will become Prime Minister after the 2029 election,” Kumar said.
He added that both Congress ministers would leave their positions if the TVK did not accept Rahul Gandhi as its choice for prime minister.
Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore also criticised the survey, although he did not directly mention Vijay or the TVK.
Tagore shared a Tamil post on X titled “The Fox’s Fake Poll”, using a story in which a fox conducts a supposed survey among animals and then uses its findings to create distrust between a lion and an elephant.
The fable raised questions about how many animals were surveyed, where the exercise took place, who was questioned, what questions were asked and how the findings were calculated.
Tagore concluded with the message: “Not every number tells the truth. Not every survey is the voice of the people.”
The post also carried the hashtag #MOTN, making it clear that the Mood of the Nation survey was the subject of his criticism despite Vijay and TVK not being explicitly named.
VAIKO BACKS RAHUL GANDHI
MDMK chief Vaiko, who is also an ally of Vijay, rejected the idea that Vijay could become the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate.
Vaiko said there was currently no alternative to Rahul Gandhi for the role and expressed doubt that Vijay himself had ambitions to become prime minister.
“There clearly isn't an alternative to Rahul Gandhi as PM Candidate for INDIA bloc. I doubt Vijay has any aspirations to be PM,” Vaiko said.
He also appealed to ministers associated with the TVK alliance to avoid making statements suggesting Vijay was seeking the prime minister’s post.
“Neither the honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu nor anyone in their party has any such thought or intention, not even a fraction of it,” Vaiko added.
‘VIJAY FOR PM’ NARRATIVE GAINS MOMENTUM
The discussion around Vijay’s national ambitions intensified after he completed 100 days as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister following a major political upset in which he defeated the state’s established Dravidian parties.
A new narrative, both online and on the ground, subsequently began gaining traction around the idea of “Vijay for PM” in 2029.
The campaign has also appeared in the form of posters supporting Vijay for the prime minister’s position in parts of Tamil Nadu, including Thoothukudi.
