A fresh disagreement has emerged within the Tamil Nadu Congress over the party’s alliance with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the question of who should be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha election.
The dispute began after former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai said that Congress should be part of an alliance only with parties that openly accept Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. He questioned the purpose of continuing an alliance if its partners do not support Rahul Gandhi for the top post.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty responded by questioning Selvaperunthagai’s current role and relevance in discussions about the alliance. Chakravarty also said that the Congress-TVK alliance remained strong and that there was no reason to doubt the relationship between the two parties.
Selvaperunthagai later responded to Chakravarty and sought a clear public statement from TVK leadership on Rahul Gandhi’s possible candidature. He said that a friendly meeting or conversation with TVK leaders should not be treated as an assurance about the Prime Ministerial candidate.
The disagreement comes amid recent statements from some TVK leaders supporting Vijay as a possible national political face for the 2029 election. At the same time, Congress leaders have continued to describe Rahul Gandhi as the party’s leader. Chakravarty had earlier said that Rahul Gandhi remained the Congress leader while discussing the alliance and speculation surrounding Vijay.
The exchange has brought attention to differences within the Tamil Nadu Congress over the alliance’s future direction and the question of national leadership. For now, the public disagreement remains focused on the positions expressed by individual leaders, while the alliance continues to be a subject of political discussion in Tamil Nadu.