Tamil Nadu’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is scheduled to hold a meeting with its allies on September 9, even as tensions with the Congress increase over demands within the TVK to name Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha election, sources told India Today.
According to sources, ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Raj Mohan and R Nirmal Kumar have invited the CPI(M), CPI and MDMK to attend the meeting.
There is no confirmation yet on whether the Congress, the TVK’s biggest coalition partner, has been invited.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting remains unclear. However, its timing is important as the differences between the TVK and Congress over who should lead the Opposition in the 2029 election have become increasingly public.
TVK LEADERS PITCH VIJAY FOR PM
The disagreement emerged after several TVK legislators openly endorsed Vijay for the country’s top constitutional post.
Kavundampalayam MLA Kanimozhi claimed that Vijay would be the TVK’s prime ministerial candidate in 2029 and said the decision on who becomes Prime Minister would be driven by Tamil Nadu rather than Delhi.
She predicted that Vijay could bring a significant transformation to national politics and suggested that Rahul Gandhi would eventually back his candidature.
“The support extended by Rahul Gandhi to the TVK led to Vijay becoming Chief Minister. Similarly, Gandhi will hold Vijay’s hand and make him sit in the Prime Minister’s chair,” she said.
Other TVK leaders, including Ranipet MLA I Thahira and Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar, have also voiced support for Vijay taking on a national political role.
CONGRESS CALLS IT A ‘FAN MINDSET’
The Congress has rejected these claims and reiterated that Rahul Gandhi remains its preferred choice for Prime Minister in 2029.
Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert described the campaign as stemming from the “fan mindset” of some newly elected TVK legislators.
She pointed out that Vijay had earlier acknowledged Rahul Gandhi as the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate and maintained that statements from individual MLAs did not reflect the coalition’s agreed position.
“The Chief Minister himself has been very clear that Rahul Gandhi is the prime ministerial candidate. These new MLAs are still in that fan mindset. They will naturally speak about their own leader,” she said.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore also dismissed the claims as an attempt to divert attention, stressing that voters would ultimately decide who becomes Prime Minister.
WHY THE RIFT IS SIGNIFICANT
The dispute is particularly important because Vijay’s government relies on the support of the Congress, Left parties, VCK and IUML. The Congress, which is the TVK’s largest ally, has five MLAs and two ministers in the state government.
With the TVK lacking a majority on its own, a prolonged dispute with the Congress could potentially put pressure on the government’s stability.
The disagreement also extends beyond Tamil Nadu’s state politics. Although the Congress is part of Vijay’s government, the TVK has not officially joined the INDIA bloc. This means the two parties can remain partners in Chennai while maintaining separate positions on national Opposition leadership.
The contrasting claims over Vijay and Rahul Gandhi have consequently raised concerns about the future of the coalition and whether their state-level alliance can survive their competing political ambitions ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election.
