Congress MP Manickam Thakur has said that the “real Congress” is wherever Rahul Gandhi is, responding to remarks made by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay.
Vijay had claimed that the “real Congress” was on his side, a statement that drew strong criticism from the Tamil Nadu Congress. In this backdrop, Thakur asserted that the party’s identity rests with its central leadership—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Thakur also said Rahul Gandhi would “definitely” come to Tamil Nadu for election campaigning after Parliament sessions conclude, and that Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi would accompany him. He added that the leadership of both parties would decide whether Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Rahul Gandhi would campaign together.
Taking aim at BJP leader K. Annamalai, Thakur said Annamalai was expressing frustration and was concerned about the fact that Rahul and Stalin did not mention each other’s names during campaigning in Puducherry. He further alleged that Annamalai was campaigning with the aim of preventing Edappadi K. Palaniswami from becoming Chief Minister.
Referring again to Vijay’s allegation that the DMK had “bought” Congress, Thakur rejected the charge and reiterated that the Congress is defined by where Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka stand.
