In Second Delhi Visit, Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Meets Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Vijay, who is on a three-day visit to the national capital, is expected to attend the NITI Aayog governing council’s meeting on Thursday. This is his second visit to New Delhi after taking up the reins as chief minister of the southern state in May.

Vijay met the Gandhis at the 10, Janpath residence of the CPP chief for the first time after assuming the post of chief minister. Rahul Gandhi flew to Chennai last month to attend Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony.

According to PTI sources, it was a courtesy meeting, and the Gandhis extended their best wishes to Vijay for

the road ahead.

Earlier today, Vijay met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan.

In his first visit to New Delhi last month, Vijaymet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth and discussed various issues, including financial support for welfare and infrastructure projects, and clearances for key developmental initiatives.

Vijay-Congress Alliance

Following the Tamil Nadu Assembly election verdict, the Congress swiftly ended its alliance with the DMK and joined hands with Vijay’s TVK to form the government. Despite having just five MLAs in the 234-member Assembly, the party secured two berths in the new cabinet and a Rajya Sabha seat for Praveen Chakravarty as part of the power-sharing arrangement.

The move also marked Congress’s return to power in Tamil Nadu after nearly six decades. The party last governed the state in 1967, before being swept out amid the anti-Hindi agitations that transformed the state’s political landscape and ushered in the era of Dravidian dominance.

Interestingly, Vijay’s association with the Congress dates back nearly two decades. According to media reports, the actor had met Rahul Gandhi in 2009 with the intention of joining the party, reportedly without seeking any post or electoral ticket. However, the move did not materialise after he was advised to first contest Youth Congress organisational elections, effectively putting his political entry through the Congress on hold.

Seventeen years later, the tables have turned. Instead of Vijay joining the Congress, the Congress has joined a government led by Vijay.