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Tamil Nadu Congress threatens cabinet resignation over 2029 PM candidacy dispute
A political rift has emerged within the ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu between the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the Congress party regarding the leadership for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Congress Tourism Minister S. Rajesh Kumar has threatened that he and Higher Education Minister P. Vishwanathan will resign from the state cabinet if TVK does not officially support Rahul Gandhi as the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate.
The tension follows statements from TVK leaders, including PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna, suggesting that the next Prime Minister should hail from Tamil Nadu, which has been interpreted as a push for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take a national role. While a survey placed Vijay as the third most preferred PM candidate behind Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert has dismissed rumors of a rift, stating that Vijay has endorsed Gandhi for the position.
In an effort to ease tensions, Congress leaders B. Manickam Tagore and Praveen Chakravarty met with Chief Minister Vijay at the Secretariat to discuss legislative matters. Meanwhile, the movement of Tharahai Cuthbert to the front row of the opposition benches in the Tamil Nadu Assembly has further fueled speculation regarding the stability of the alliance.
Entities
C Joseph Vijay · C. Joseph Vijay · Indian National Congress · Rahul Gandhi · S Rajesh Kumar · Tamil Nadu · Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 12 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi will be the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 parliamentary election. desitalkchicago.com · www.justicenews.co.in · thefederal.com · www.siasat.com · www.thenewsminute.com · +5 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Congress ministers will resign from the Tamil Nadu cabinet if TVK does not support Rahul Gandhi as the 2029 prime ministerial candidate. desitalkchicago.com · www.justicenews.co.in · thefederal.com · www.siasat.com · www.thenewsminute.com · +7 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] A survey ranked C Joseph Vijay as the third most preferred prime ministerial candidate in India, behind Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. desitalkchicago.com · www.justicenews.co.in · thenews21.com · thefederal.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · +3 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Congress has five MLAs in the Tamil Nadu state assembly. desitalkchicago.com · thefederal.com · www.justicenews.co.in · www.thenewsminute.com · samacharnama.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won 108 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. desitalkchicago.com · thefederal.com · hindi.asianetnews.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leaders have projected Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a prospective prime ministerial candidate. desitalkchicago.com · www.justicenews.co.in · thenews21.com · thefederal.com · www.siasat.com · +6 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] The two Congress ministers in the Tamil Nadu cabinet, S Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan, are prepared to resign. desitalkchicago.com · thefederal.com · www.dtnext.in · www.justicenews.co.in · www.siasat.com · +7 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Congress leaders Manickam Tagore and Praveen Chakravarty met Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to discuss delimitation and other legislative matters. chennaivision.com · www.dtnext.in · www.deccanchronicle.com