Rahul Gandhi or Vijay for PM: How Congress is pushing back against TVK’s 2029 ambitions

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has called its post-poll partners for a meeting on 9 September, Wednesday to discuss formalising their alliance.

The meeting comes as the Congress party is confronting a TVK proposition of projecting the new CM Vijay as a probable prime ministerial face in future Lok Sabha elections.

The ‘Vijay for PM’ campaign, coming less than four months after the actor-turned-politician took over as Tamil Nadu chief minister, has certainly caused unease within the Congress, a TVK ally in the state.

The pitch directly challenges the Congress’s apparent push to project Rahul Gandhi, the current Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as the undisputed choice for the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday said the finalised name of TVK alliance in Tamil Nadu will be announced on September 9, which is when the alliance partners are scheduled to meet.

He said that Congress was the first to extend support to the TVK to form government in Tamil Nadu, after which others, including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), joined the alliance.

“The first time we met was in the first week of July for a discussion to formalise the alliance in an organised way. The Congress party was the first to support TVK, after which the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and VCK joined. The CPI and CPI(M) extended support from the outside. Now, the alliance is being formalised, and we will announce the finalised name on September 9 following the alliance meeting,” Tagore told reporters here.

Earlier, Tagore said that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

"I am again saying clearly that in the 2029 Parliament election, our leader Rahul Gandhi will be the PM candidate. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has just started to do his work as per the people's mandate," he said.

Tagore further said there were attempts to create differences within the alliance but asserted that the Congress remained firm.

"I know some journalists will try to break the alliance and want to create trouble. But we are clear on it," he added.

The Congress leader took a veiled dig at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), saying that the days when his party was “humiliated” repeatedly were over.

“Congress is upbeat. Congress people are a lot more confident now. That is the whole story. Before May 4, we were humiliated again and again. Those days are over,” Tagore said.

Congress broke its over 50-year alliance with DMK following the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections in May while extending support to Vijay-led TVK. As this happened, DMK accused Congress of “betrayal”.

Tagore informed about the transition from his role as All India Congress Committee (AICC) incharge for Andhra Pradesh, where local body elections are due, to his role as Tamil Nadu Congress president ahead of the alliance meeting with TVK.

“I am transitioning from my role as AICC incharge for Andhra Pradesh to serve as Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee President. My colleague PV Mohan is taking charge as the AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, and I wish him the very best,” he said.

AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal on Sunday echoed Tagore’s views. “Nobody should create any such confusion. Rahul Gandhi will be the face of the INDIA alliance (in 2029)… The INDIA alliance is moving forward. There are some issues in a few states where they are competing against each other. Otherwise, it is the INDIA alliance itself that is moving forward. That is the truth,” Venugopal said.

TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Anand, Arun Raj and others also met Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan at the party office and invited VCK to attend the upcoming alliance meeting.

What analysts say: 'If Ronald Reagon can be POTUS'

Vijay's entry into politics is the extension of his reel life into real life and involves a lot of heroics. But, analysts say, it will also depend on how he performs as chief minister of Tamil Nadu before 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

"In coalition like non-BJP alliances, Vijay has a potential. And then if Ronald Reagon can be President of America why can’t Mr Vijay be in India,” political analyst and author, Rasheed Kidwai told Mint last week.

Reagan was a Hollywood actor and starred in more than 50 films starting in the late 1930s, including Knute Rockne, All-American and Kings Row. served as the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. He won the 1980 presidential election and served two terms as the 40th US President.

Kidwai points out that coalition partners in India have often very little ideological compatibility. For instances left and socialist groups have aligned with regional parties who lack ideological finesse, he said.

"Every party has personal ambition but they come together to keep someone out and in this case Modi and the BJP. That is the only glue otherwise there is no shared vision. So, I think there will be voices against Vijay within the Congress, but that doesn’t mean collapse of alliance. That doesn’t mean Rahul Gandhi cannot aspire to be PM or even for Mr Vijay,” he said

(With agency inputs)