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Tamil Nadu Congress president and MP B Manickam Tagore criticised the TVK’s campaign, saying its leaders were still operating in “fan-mode”
File image of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (Source: PTI)
The call for Vijay as the Prime Ministerial candidate is gradually gaining momentum in Tamil Nadu. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA Kanimozhi Santhosh has reignited the debate over Vijay and Rahul Gandhi as possible contenders for the post of India’s next Prime Minister, making a strong prediction for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kanimozhi said Thalapathy Vijay would be the PM contender in 2029 and predicted that “a big and a shocking change in Indian politics will be seen in 2029″.
When asked about Congress leaders saying they would quit the alliance if TVK pushed Vijay as the PM face, Kanimozhi said Rahul Gandhi himself would make Vijay the Prime Minister.
“….you’ll see in 2029. Who goes in and who goes out. It was our Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, who made Thalapathy sit in the CM chair. So he will only hold Vijay’s hand and make him sit in the PM’s chair in 2029,” she said.
Kanimozhi backs Vijay’s 2029 PM bid
The TVK MLA also expressed confidence in her prediction by referring to an earlier claim she had made about Vijay’s political rise.
Kanimozhi said she had announced in 2025 that Vijay would become Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and that the prediction came true in 2026.
“What I said in 2025, happened in 2026. So now also I’m saying with full confidence that this is what is going to happen in 2029,” she said. Her remarks have added a fresh dimension to the ongoing disagreement between TVK and Congress over who should be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 general elections.
Vijay vs Rahul Gandhi debate
The debate gained attention after posters featuring Vijay appeared in parts of Tamil Nadu. The posters, seen in the port-industrial city of Thoothukudi, described him as “Tomorrow’s PM”.
The posters were put up by TVK functionary Sudhakar, who recently joined Vijay’s party after leaving the AIADMK.
TVK leaders have backed the projection of Vijay as a potential PM candidate in 2029. PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the country’s top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.
Senior TVK leader KA Sengottaiyan also backed Vijay’s national ambitions, saying, “People from north Indian states are also looking forward to our leader Vijay; he is the one who has the power to rule the entire India.”
The issue received further attention after the results of a private media survey also listed Vijay among the preferred candidates for Prime Minister in 2029. Vijay was ranked third, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who occupied the first and second positions respectively.
Congress threatens to quit alliance
Congress, however, has strongly opposed the TVK campaign to project Vijay for the 2029 PM post, putting the alliance in Tamil Nadu under strain.
Congress leaders in the state have threatened to resign from the Tamil Nadu Cabinet if Vijay’s TVK does not support Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Ministerial candidate.
Congress is part of the TVK-led Tamil Nadu government with five MLAs. Vijay’s TVK has 107 MLAs, while the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and VCK/Left factions have two MLAs each.
Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar said both Congress ministers would resign if TVK failed to back Gandhi in the 2029 general elections.
Kumar said Congress would not compromise on its position and maintained that Rahul Gandhi was the only candidate the party would support in the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, as TVK leaders projected Vijay as the next PM, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami took a sharp jibe, saying that the TVK chief could “even become the President of the United States.
“Mocking Vijay’s extensive public relations campaigns and penchant for chartered flights, EPS said, “He could even become the President of America. There is nothing wrong with it, it is his wish. They are running the government by putting out ‘reels’ here; that won’t work there.”
Congress hits back at TVK
State Congress president and MP B Manickam Tagore criticised the TVK’s campaign, saying its leaders were still operating in “fan-mode”. “The TVK leaders are still operating in a fan-club mode. So, you cannot silence people who are in the fan-club mode,” Tagore said.
With TVK leaders openly backing Vijay for the 2029 PM race and Congress insisting on Rahul Gandhi, the disagreement has now become a fresh test for the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The future of the TVK-Congress alliance remains uncertain, as the disagreement over the 2029 Prime Ministerial candidate has put the partnership under strain and created fresh friction. While both sides insist that their partnership remains intact, Congress leaders have threatened to resign from the Tamil Nadu Cabinet if TVK does not support Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Ministerial candidate.
Ask News18About the Author
Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More
September 02, 2026, 17:25 IST
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