Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has called a meeting of its alliance partners on September 9 amid growing friction with the Congress over calls from within the ruling party to project Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting is expected to discuss coordination among the allies and the political differences that have emerged over the “Vijay for PM” campaign. The controversy has become the first significant test for the coalition after TVK formed the government with the support of the Congress and other parties following this year’s Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Congress pushes back
The row intensified after TVK leaders and ministers began publicly pitching Vijay for a larger national role, with posters backing him for prime minister also appearing in parts of the state. The campaign gained momentum after an India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey placed Vijay third among preferred choices for prime minister, behind Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
Congress leaders have strongly pushed back against the campaign. State minister S Rajesh Kumar warned that the party’s two ministers in the Vijay government would step down if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate in 2029. Congress MP Manickam Tagore has also dismissed the “Vijay for PM” campaign as a diversion by some leaders.
TVK’s other allies have also expressed unease. MDMK chief Vaiko has maintained that Rahul Gandhi remains the INDIA bloc’s choice for prime minister and urged Vijay to rein in ministers making statements projecting him for the post.
Alliance faces first test
The controversy has assumed greater significance because of the arithmetic in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the elections but fell short of a majority on its own, subsequently forming the government with support from the Congress, VCK and IUML, along with backing from other allies.
Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert has sought to play down suggestions of a rupture, saying Vijay supports Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate and describing the “Vijay for PM” calls as enthusiasm among sections of TVK workers rather than the party leadership’s official position.
Vijay himself has so far not publicly endorsed the campaign. The September 9 meeting is therefore expected to be closely watched for signs of whether TVK moves to contain the controversy and reassure its allies or allows the push for Vijay’s national ambitions to gather further momentum.