Tension has surfaced between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by Chief Minister Vijay and its ally Congress, after TVK leaders began publicly projecting Vijay as a future Prime Minister.
The backdrop includes shifting alliance equations in Tamil Nadu. After the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the DMK’s sweep of all 39 seats elevated its leader M K Stalin’s standing in national opposition politics, while Congress remained a smaller force in the state. Following this year’s Assembly election, Congress exited the DMK-led alliance, backed TVK to form the government and also joined the state cabinet.
In recent weeks, TVK has signalled ambitions beyond the state, with efforts to build visibility for Vijay in northern states through social media. Ministers and MLAs have repeatedly referred to him as “India’s next Prime Minister” in speeches, including at a 100-day achievements meeting in Virudhunagar and in remarks made in the Assembly.
Congress leaders, who continue to project Rahul Gandhi as their prime ministerial face, have reacted sharply. Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Congress president Manickam Tagore said the INDIA alliance is a grouping of parties with MPs fighting the Modi-Amit Shah government in Delhi, and that parties without MPs cannot be accommodated. He also termed the PM-candidate projection by TVK leaders as a “fan mindset,” while recalling that Vijay had sought Congress support to form the state government.
With both sides staking positions on leadership at the national level, the prime ministerial candidate question has emerged as a fresh flashpoint within the new TVK–Congress partnership.
