The Congress and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu is facing fresh speculation of a rift after Congress Legislature Party leader and MLA Tharahai Cuthbert was shifted to the front row of the Opposition benches in the state Assembly.
Cuthbert was previously seated alongside TVK MLAs. Her change of seat on Monday came amid growing tensions between the two allies over statements projecting TVK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay as a possible contender for the prime minister’s post in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The development follows remarks by Tamil Nadu tourism minister S Rajesh Kumar, who warned that Congress ministers in the state Cabinet would resign if TVK did not support Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as its preferred candidate for prime minister in 2029.
Speaking at a Congress event in Kanyakumari on Saturday, Kumar said Rahul Gandhi would become India’s prime minister in 2029.
The competing claims have intensified political speculation within the ruling alliance.
Why the Congress-TVK tensions are rising
TVK leaders have increasingly projected Vijay as a potential national leader. TVK PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna previously said India’s highest constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.
The issue gained further attention after a private media survey placed Vijay third among preferred candidates for the 2029 prime ministerial post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi reportedly ranked first and second, respectively.
The developments have prompted the BJP to question why Congress continues to support the TVK government despite the apparent differences over the prime ministerial issue.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan argued that TVK leaders’ statements amounted to a rejection of Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and questioned why Congress had not withdrawn from the state government.
How Congress joined the TVK government
TVK secured a major victory in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections this year, winning 108 seats in its first electoral contest. The TVK-led government was subsequently formed with support from Congress and other allies.
Congress had ended its long-standing alliance with the DMK after the election results and extended support to the TVK government, subject to the condition that communal forces would be kept out of the government.
The latest seat change involving Cuthbert, however, has added to questions about the stability of the alliance.
For now, there has been no formal announcement that Congress is withdrawing support from the TVK government. The immediate focus remains on whether the disagreement over the 2029 prime ministerial race will translate into a broader political confrontation between the two parties.
