Congress Asserts Rahul Gandhi as 2029 PM Face Amid TVK Projections for Vijay

Congress leaders have asserted that Rahul Gandhi will be the face of the INDIA bloc for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, responding to projections of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a potential prime ministerial candidate. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal stated that Rahul Gandhi is the most prominent leader loved by the people of India today and urged that nobody create confusion regarding the alliance's leadership. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore echoed this position, stating that the party's choice is clear and that Vijay should remain focused on his role as Chief Minister.

The tension follows reports of TVK supporters and leaders projecting Vijay for the country's highest office. According to a center-right source, posters in Thoothukudi described Vijay as Tomorrow's PM, and TVK PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna argued that a leader from Tamil Nadu should hold the top constitutional office. These developments reportedly led to threats of resignation from Congress ministers within Vijay's state cabinet. Tagore dismissed the projections as the result of supporters operating in fan mode.

Meanwhile, the TVK government has called a meeting of its post-poll partners for September 9 to discuss formalizing their alliance. This meeting follows a July 1 discussion in Kovalam and aims to decide on a name for the alliance, a common minimum programme, and a coordination committee. Tagore noted that the alliance must be based on social justice and secularism. He further clarified that while the Congress supports Vijay's leadership in Tamil Nadu, the TVK would be invited to join the national INDIA alliance once the party secures MPs.