The political equation between Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and Congress is facing fresh questions over who could lead their alliance in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. While Congress leader Tharahai Cuthbert recently claimed that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had chosen Rahul Gandhi as the alliance's Prime Ministerial candidate, TVK MLA Kanimozhi has now openly projected Vijay for the top post.

TVK MLA backs Vijay for 2029 PM

TVK MLA Kanimozhi said on Wednesday that Vijay would be the party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

She said the decision on who becomes Prime Minister would not be determined in Delhi but by Tamil Nadu.

"Vijay is the PM candidate for 2029. Delhi will not decide who will be the PM. Tamil Nadu will decide," she said.

Kanimozhi also claimed that "some magic" would happen in 2029 and said Rahul Gandhi himself would make Vijay Prime Minister.

Her comments represent a direct assertion of Vijay's national political ambitions at a time when questions are being raised about the understanding between TVK and Congress.

Congress had earlier named Rahul Gandhi

The latest statement comes days after Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert claimed that Vijay had chosen Rahul Gandhi as the alliance's Prime Ministerial candidate.

Cuthbert rejected speculation about a leadership dispute within the alliance and said statements portraying Vijay as a potential Prime Ministerial contender were being driven by enthusiasm among TVK cadres rather than the party leadership's official position.

"The CM has chosen Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. That is how he is proceeding," she said.

The contrasting claims have now brought the question of the alliance's potential 2029 leadership to the forefront.

Why Vijay vs Rahul matters

The disagreement is significant because TVK leaders have increasingly spoken about Vijay's potential role beyond Tamil Nadu, while Congress has continued to project Rahul Gandhi for national leadership.

TVK PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna had earlier said the country's highest constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar had also said Congress ministers in the state Cabinet would resign if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 elections.

Kumar's remarks came amid growing speculation over the alliance's understanding of national leadership.

Vijay and Rahul Gandhi had shown political closeness

Vijay and Rahul Gandhi had appeared politically close following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

After the election, Vijay thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and referred to Rahul Gandhi as his "brother" while acknowledging Congress' support for his government.

The latest statements, however, indicate that there is still uncertainty over whether the two parties have a common position on the Prime Ministerial face for 2029.

TVK's electoral strength

TVK was launched in 2024 and contested its first Tamil Nadu Assembly election in 2026.

The party won 108 of the 234 Assembly seats and formed the government with support from Congress and other parties.

The scale of TVK's first-election performance has given Vijay a significant political base in Tamil Nadu, but the question of whether that support can translate into a national role remains central to the 2029 political calculations.

Dhinakaran attacks Vijay government

Separately, AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran attacked the Vijay-led government, describing its functioning as being like watching a "cinema" disconnected from reality.

Speaking at a press conference in Madurai, Dhinakaran alleged that TVK had won 108 seats by attracting young voters through Instagram reels and cinematic popularity while fielding relatively unknown candidates.

"This governance is just like watching a cinema," he said, alleging that there was no connection between the government's actions and reality.

Dhinakaran questions ministers and governance

Dhinakaran questioned the capabilities of the newly elected MLAs and ministers and alleged that some lacked basic proficiency in Tamil and mathematics.

He referred to alleged instances of legislators misreading numbers and confusing "millilitres" with "millimetres".

He also claimed Vijay had maintained a "100-day silence" in the Assembly and struggled to read written statements.

Dhinakaran further accused the Chief Minister of approaching governance like a "shooting schedule" and alleged that several pre-election promises had not been properly implemented.

Agriculture and law-and-order criticism

Dhinakaran criticised the timing of the release of dam water for agriculture, arguing that the delayed opening would make it difficult for water to reach tail-end areas.

He also alleged deterioration in law and order, citing sexual violence, drug circulation and corruption within government departments.

These allegations were made by Dhinakaran and are political criticism of the government rather than independently established findings.

Analysis: Is there really an alliance crack?

The conflicting statements over the 2029 Prime Ministerial candidate have created a visible political contradiction between TVK and Congress.

Congress has publicly projected Rahul Gandhi, while a TVK MLA has explicitly claimed Vijay as the party's choice. The statements do not by themselves establish that the alliance has formally broken down, but they highlight an unresolved question over national leadership.

The issue is particularly important because the two parties currently depend on cooperation in Tamil Nadu. A sustained disagreement over the 2029 PM face could become a test of the alliance's internal coordination and its broader electoral strategy.

For Vijay, the statements from TVK leaders indicate an attempt to position him beyond state politics. For Congress, Rahul Gandhi remains the party's principal national leadership figure. Whether the two sides can reconcile these competing ambitions will depend on future alliance negotiations and the political arithmetic leading up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

At present, the available statements show competing claims rather than confirmation of a formal alliance split.