Rift Between TVK And Congress Over Vijay’s PM Ambitions? What We Know

Tensions have surfaced within Tamil Nadu’s ruling alliance after Congress leaders warned that the party’s ministers could leave the state cabinet if Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) refuses to support Rahul Gandhi as INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The warning follows the TVK’s increasingly vocal campaign projecting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a contender for the country’s top political post.

Addressing an event on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar said the Congress would not compromise on its support for Gandhi. He added that the party’s two ministers in the Vijay-led government would step down if the TVK refused to endorse the Congress leader.

“All the ministers claim that our Chief Minister is the next Prime Minister. Media friends constantly ask me about this, and I want to make it clear, our leader Rahul Gandhi will become Prime Minister after the 2029 election. If the TVK does not accept this, both Congress ministers will not continue in their posts,” Kumar said.

Survey Fuels TVK’s Vijay Pitch

The debate intensified after the latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey placed Vijay third among respondents’ preferred choices for prime minister. He ranked behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

Published on August 28, the survey examined voters’ preferences if the Lok Sabha elections were held at present. Vijay’s position in the rankings gave fresh momentum to the TVK’s campaign presenting him as a national leader.

Senior TVK leader KA Sengottaiyan claimed Vijay’s appeal was no longer confined to Tamil Nadu.

“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,” Sengottaiyan said, according to ThePrint.

“I have travelled with MGR and Jayalalithaa. After these two leaders, Vijay is the force who will not only rule Tamil Nadu but also the future India, following their path,” he added.

Congress Accuses TVK Of Remaining In ‘Fan-Club Mode’

The TVK’s campaign has drawn a sharp response from its coalition partner. Tamil Nadu Congress president and MP B Manickam Tagore accused the party’s leaders of behaving more like Vijay’s admirers than members of a political organisation.

“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.

He also appeared to question the credibility of the survey findings. In a Tamil-language post on X titled “The Fox’s Fake Poll”, Tagore shared a fable about a fox using a supposed survey to create mistrust between a lion and an elephant.

The story raised questions about the survey’s sample, location, respondents, methodology and calculation of results.

“Not every number tells the truth. Not every survey is the voice of the people,” Tagore wrote, ending the post with the hashtag #MOTN. Although he did not name Vijay or the TVK, the reference made the target of his criticism apparent.

DMK Mocks Vijay, Says 'No Limit To Imagination'

The opposition DMK also dismissed the TVK’s prime ministerial campaign. DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi mocked the claims, describing them as political fantasy.

“If party members speak, they will even say that he is going to become the head of the United Nations. Imagination, imagination, there is no limit to their imagination. Let them think whatever they want,” Bharathi said.

He also sought to highlight the contradiction facing the Congress as a member of the Vijay-led coalition while continuing to project Gandhi for prime minister.

“The moment someone says that he will become the Prime Minister, they have already decided that it will not be Rahul Gandhi, haven’t they?” Bharathi asked.

“If Congress workers have any self-respect, let them come out and say that they have decided Rahul Gandhi will not become the Prime Minister. No, no, he will be the Prime Minister, and let these people keep worshipping him,” he added.

The Congress joined the TVK-led alliance after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Vijay’s party emerged as the largest formation with 108 seats and formed the government with support from the Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI and CPI(M).

The disagreement over the 2029 prime ministerial face has now exposed a significant fault line within that coalition. While the TVK is attempting to expand Vijay’s political profile beyond Tamil Nadu, the Congress insists that Rahul Gandhi remains its only choice for prime minister.