“Back Rahul Or We Quit”: Cong Ministers Warn TVK As Vijay’s PM Push Grows

Tamil Nadu’s ruling alliance could be heading for a fresh political test after Congress minister S Rajesh Kumar said he and another party minister would resign from the state Cabinet if alliance partner Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) refuses to support Rahul Gandhi as the Congress’ Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at an event in Kanyakumari on Sunday, Kumar made it clear that the Congress was unwilling to compromise on its position, asserting that Rahul Gandhi would be the party’s choice for the top national post. His remarks come at a time when several TVK ministers, MLAs and party members have been openly projecting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate for the next general election.

Kumar said he and his Cabinet colleague P Vishwanathan, the Higher Education Minister, were prepared to step down if the alliance partner did not back the Congress on the issue. Vishwanathan was not immediately available for comment.

The warning assumes significance because of the political arrangement that brought the two parties together. The Congress backed the Vijay-led TVK in forming the Tamil Nadu government in May, following which the national party was given representation in the state Cabinet.

The latest remarks could put that alliance under pressure even before the 2029 Lok Sabha campaign takes shape. While the Congress has now publicly drawn a line around Rahul Gandhi’s candidature, the growing campaign within TVK for Vijay adds another competing claim to the national leadership question.

The disagreement also highlights the challenges facing the alliance as both parties attempt to balance their state-level partnership with their ambitions for the 2029 parliamentary elections.

For now, Kumar’s statement has raised the possibility of a political confrontation inside the ruling coalition, with the question of who should lead the Opposition alliance at the national level emerging as a potentially divisive issue.