Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the alliance’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader
Tharahai Cuthbert said on Monday, amid speculation over differences between the ruling party and its alliance partner TVK.
Rejecting reports of a leadership tussle within the alliance, Cuthbert said projections of Vijay as a potential contender for the Prime Minister’s post were driven by enthusiasm among party cadres and did not represent the official position of the leadership.
“The CM has chosen Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. That is how he is proceeding,” she said while speaking to reporters.
TVK Leaders Pitch For Vijay?
Cuthbert was responding to speculation triggered by statements from leaders of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) projecting Vijay as a possible candidate for the Prime Minister’s post.
Her remarks came a day after Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar said Congress ministers in the state Cabinet would resign if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at an event in Kanyakumari on Saturday, Kumar had said Rahul Gandhi would become Prime Minister in 2029.
The comments had come against the backdrop of statements from TVK leaders backing Vijay for a larger national role. TVK PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna had earlier said the country’s top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.
Cuthbert also addressed comments made by Congress Minister Vishwanathan, agreeing that the Congress was growing as an independent political force and was not functioning in a subservient position to TVK.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Vs Vijay For 2029? PM Face For Lok Sabha Polls Turns Flashpoint In Tamil Nadu Ruling Coalition
She emphasised that the Congress remained a democratic and autonomous political organisation, even as it worked with Vijay’s party as an alliance partner.
Vijay Vs Rahul
The developments come as questions emerge over the power dynamics within the alliance and the choice of its potential national leadership ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Vijay and Rahul Gandhi had appeared politically close in the months following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. After the election, Vijay thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and referred to Rahul Gandhi as his “brother” while acknowledging Congress’ support for his government.
Also Read: Congress Warns Of Cabinet Exit If Vijay’s TVK Rejects Rahul Gandhi As 2029 PM Face
TVK was launched in 2024 and won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly in its first election, subsequently forming the government with the support of Congress and other parties.
With Congress now publicly asserting that Vijay has backed Rahul Gandhi for the Prime Ministerial post, the statement is likely to put renewed focus on the alliance’s leadership equation and whether the arrangement holds as both parties expand their political ambitions ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
With inputs from PTI
