Political tensions in Tamil Nadu’s ruling alliance have intensified after Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the prime ministerial face for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The remarks come at a time when Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, is reportedly pushing for its chief C Joseph Vijay to become the prime ministerial face for the next general election.
Speaking at an event in Chennai on Friday, Viswanathan expressed confidence that Rahul Gandhi would lead the opposition’s national campaign in 2029. He also indicated that Congress had already started preparing for the next Lok Sabha elections.
Viswanathan said that there was no question of reconsidering Rahul Gandhi as the party's preferred prime ministerial candidate. He said that Congress workers in Tamil Nadu, from Kanyakumari to Tiruttani, had started strengthening the party's political activities well ahead of the elections.
The minister’s statement has added another layer to the emerging political differences between the Congress and TVK over the question of national leadership.
Congress Ministers Put Pressure on TVK
Viswanathan and S Rajesh Kumar are the two Congress MLAs who have been inducted into the Tamil Nadu cabinet. Kumar had earlier issued a stronger warning over the alliance's position on the 2029 prime ministerial race.
Kumar said last month that the two Congress ministers could resign from the Tamil Nadu cabinet if TVK refused to endorse Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate.
The statement came as sections of Congress and TVK were at odds over who should lead a possible opposition campaign in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
For the Congress, Rahul Gandhi continues to be the party's most prominent national face and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. TVK has been trying to expand its political power beyond Tamil Nadu’s state politics, on the other hand.
TVK leaders push Vijay as PM face
The latest controversy follows statements from TVK leaders advocating Vijay as a prime ministerial candidate for the next general election.
Vijay moved from the film industry to politics and started TVK with the goal of a leadership role in Tamil Nadu politics. The party has also been in the spotlight, and so have its relations with other political parties.
The dispute over the 2029 PM face could present a serious problem for the alliance and could be a major test for the alliance, especially if the parties have to coordinate their strategy for the Lok Sabha elections.
Tamil Nadu Politics Enters New Phase
The political developments come after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which significantly altered the political landscape, according to the report.
The Congress has been trying to strengthen its organisational base in Tamil Nadu while TVK has been trying to take off as a major political force under Vijay’s leadership.
Minister KA Sengottaiyan also defended the government’s political direction, saying the leadership was focused on protecting the interests of Tamil Nadu’s people and implementing public-oriented schemes.
With the 2029 Lok Sabha elections still some distance away, the debate over the prime ministerial face is already emerging as a key political issue. Rahul Gandhi’s claim to the Congress’s support and the TVK’s push for Vijay may lead to more discussions and squabbles between alliance partners in the months to come.
For now, Viswanathan's claim that Rahul Gandhi will be prime minister after the 2029 elections indicates that the Congress intends to make its position clear, while TVK continues to push Vijay as a possible national political leader.
