Tamil Nadu: Political tussle over 2029 prime ministerial candidate

Amidst disagreements between the TVK and also its ally, the Congress, over the 2029 prime ministerial phase, the Congress Legislature party leader Tarahai Qatbart has rejected reports of rift between the two alliance partners. Speaking to the reporters, Qatbart dismissed comments from TVK ministers about pitching Vijay as the 2029 prime ministerial phase, saying that such comments were driven by enthusiasm of the TVK workers. Qatbart added that Vijay himself has endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate and that is the party's official line. The comments have come a day after Tamil Nadu's tourism minister S Rajesh Kumar warned that if the TVK did not endorse Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate, the two Congress ministers in Vijay's cabinet will resign. The comments have come at a time when several TVK leaders have projected Chief Minister Vijay as a potential prime minister in 2029. The issue was first raised by Tamil Nadu's sports minister Adhav Arjuna speaking during a debate on delimitation in the Tamil Nadu assembly. Adhav Arjuna said that a prime minister should emerge from Tamil Nadu and several other TVK leaders have followed with similar comments projecting Vijay as the next prime minister. Reports say that the comments have sparked a bit of an unease in the Congress rank and file. And earlier Tamil Nadu Congress president Manikam Tagore had taken a bit of a dig at the TVK minister's comments saying that they were functioning with a fan club mindset. However, Vijay himself is yet to comment publicly on his prime ministerial ambitions if any.