Congress draws line over Vijay’s PM bid

The Congress has warned that it could withdraw from the Tamil Nadu ruling alliance if actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) refuses to support Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar said at an event on Saturday that the two Congress ministers in the state cabinet would resign if the TVK continues to back Vijay for the prime minister’s post. He made it clear that the Congress would not compromise on its position and would support Rahul Gandhi as its candidate.

The warning comes amid growing differences between the Congress and the TVK over the Opposition’s leadership for the next general election.

The TVK, led by Tamil superstar Vijay, has increasingly projected its leader as a possible candidate for prime minister in 2029. Senior TVK leader KA Sengottaiyan recently claimed that people across northern India were also looking towards Vijay and described him as a leader capable of leading the country.

The Congress, however, has strongly criticised the campaign. Tamil Nadu Congress president and MP B Manickam Tagore said TVK leaders were still functioning in a “fan-club mode”, suggesting that the party’s political approach needed to mature.

The political tension is significant because the TVK emerged as a major force in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The party won 108 seats and subsequently formed the state government with support from the VCK, IUML, Congress, CPI and CPI(M).

The alliance now faces a potential test over the question of national leadership. While the Congress wants Rahul Gandhi to be projected as its choice for prime minister in the 2029 elections, the TVK is seeking greater prominence for Vijay.

The disagreement could have implications for the stability of the coalition in Tamil Nadu if the two sides fail to reach an understanding.

For now, Congress leaders have maintained that their position on Rahul Gandhi is firm. The TVK, meanwhile, continues to build its political profile around Vijay, setting the stage for a potentially difficult alliance ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.