Vijay Backs Rahul Gandhi As INDIA Bloc PM Candidate: TN Congress Leader

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has chosen Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate, Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert said on Monday. She rejected speculation of a rift between the Congress and its ally TVK.

Cuthbert cited India Today’s Mood of the Nation survey, which ranked Vijay third among preferred prime ministerial choices. TVK later backed Vijay for the top post, prompting Congress to threaten to quit the alliance unless he supported Rahul Gandhi as the bloc’s PM face.

“The CM has chosen Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. That is how he is proceeding,” Cuthbert said.

TVK-Congress Relations

She said talk of Vijay becoming prime minister in some quarters was driven by the enthusiasm of TVK workers and did not reflect the leadership’s official position.

Vijay and Rahul Gandhi share a close rapport. Vijay’s TVK made a strong debut in this year’s Tamil Nadu Assembly polls and ended the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK. He invited Rahul Gandhi to his Chennai swearing-in, where he publicly called him his “brother”. Rahul Gandhi has also expressed support for the TVK government.

Cuthbert said Congress was growing on its own in Tamil Nadu and did not function in a subordinate role to TVK. She said the party was democratic and autonomous.

BJP And Assembly Row

She described the FIR against Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani over the 'shuddhikaran' row as evidence of the BJP’s anxiety. Cuthbert said the BJP was unnerved by Rahul Gandhi’s wide public acceptance and predicted that he would become prime minister in 2029.

On the Assembly seat change, Cuthbert said it was a routine adjustment tied to her new role as Congress floor leader, not a political signal. She was appointed CLP leader on August 13 and, after taking charge, moved to a front-row seat on August 31, a spot usually reserved for opposition leaders.