'Vijay for PM' pitch has TVK facing its first big alliance test

The 'Vijay-for-PM' clamour within the TVK has deepened the friction between the party and the Congress. The Congress has viewed it as potentially undercutting its bid to project Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's face for the 2029 Lok Sabha election.Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister VijayThe TVK has been in power for barely four months, but it is already staring at its first major alliance test. At the heart of the growing unease among its allies is the TVK's growing "Vijay for Prime Minister" chorus. The latest India Today-CVoter nationwide survey, which placed Vijay as the third-most preferred PM choice, has only deepened the friction between the TVK and the Congress. The Congress has viewed it as potentially undercutting the opposition's united bid to project Rahul Gandhi as the face for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.The 'Vijay-for-PM' clamour within the TVK has only grown after the Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey. Over 9% of those surveyed preferred Vijay as the next prime minister - a unique feat for someone who has been a chief minister for just 100 days. He was only behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi (48.7%) and Rahul Gandhi (27.1%). Behind Vijay were veteran leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, who have spent decades navigating the twists and turns of Indian politics.CONGRESS THREATENS TO QUIT ALLIANCEThe poll has only renewed demands from TVK leaders and ministers for Vijay to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate. 'Vijay for PM' posters have also mushroomed in areas like Tuticorin, adding a fresh trigger to the growing friction. Vijay himself has not commented on the matter so far. But in politics, silence is also a powerful tool. Nevertheless, it has irked the Congress, which so far had only brushed aside such statements.Matters reached a boiling point on August 30 when Congress leader and state minister S Rajesh Kumar threatened to quit the alliance if the TVK did not back Rahul in the 2029 general elections. Speaking at an event in Kanyakumari, Kumar said both the Congress ministers would resign if the TVK failed to change its stance. "If by any chance TVK doesn't agree, the two ministers of Congress will not continue in our positions," Kumar, who is the Tamil Nadu tourism minister, said. The other Congress minister in Vijay's Cabinet is P Viswanathan.CONGRESS MLA'S SEATING CHANGEDA day after the sharp remarks by Kumar, the seating of the Congress legislature party leader, Tharahai Cuthbert, was changed in the Assembly.On Monday, Cuthbert, the MLA from Colachel, was shifted to the front row of the opposition benches in the Assembly, ANI reported. She was previously seated in the section allotted to TVK MLAs.As speculation of a TVK-Congress rift gained ground, Tamil Nadu Congress president and MP Manickam Tagore met Vijay at the secretariat on Monday evening. Both sides have remained tight-lipped on what was discussed in the meeting.However, Cuthbert has sought to downplay the speculation, stressing that both Vijay and Rahul Gandhi share a good rapport. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, she underlined that the Vijay-for-PM call in some quarters was driven largely by the enthusiasm of TVK workers, and did not represent the party leadership's official position.She also did not attach any political motive to the change in her seating position, describing it as routine. CM Vijay during his meeting with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi HOW THE NUMBERS STACK UP?The political stakes are high for the TVK government, which has a narrow majority in the Assembly. While Vijay's TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu polls, it fell 11 short of the 118 majority mark.After weeks of back-and-forth, the TVK eventually formed the government with the backing of Congress (5 MLAs), VCK (2), IUML (2), and outside support from the Left parties (4). Later, the MDMK, which has two MLAs, also backed the TVK.Presently, there are seven vacancies in the 234-member Assembly, after the resignation of six AIADMK MLAs and Vijay vacating the Trichy East seat. This has brought the current assembly strength down to 227, and the majority mark to 114.If the Congress decides to withdraw support, it may not immediately bring down the Vijay government, but it could leave it teetering on the brink.Even other TVK allies like MDMK have pushed back against such suggestions, underlining that Rahul Gandhi was the "only choice" as the INDIA bloc's PM candidate. MDMK chief Vaiko also urged Vijay to rein in his ministers.Sensing the unease within the alliance, the BJP has questioned why the Congress was not withdrawing support to the TVK government even after the "insult" to Rahul Gandhi."What is preventing the opportunistic Congress from coming out of the Cabinet? Because statements by TVK ministers are a scathing vote of no confidence," BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan told ANI.VIJAY FOR PM CHORUS GROWSEven before the MOTN survey, TVK ministers had already been floating the idea that the next prime minister should be from a southern state."Presently, a situation exists where just five or six Hindi-speaking northern states come together, and they determine the prime minister," TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna said last month.The Vijay-for-PM pitch also reached the Assembly. Praising Vijay's work ethic, minister D Sarathkumar declared him the "next Indian PM"."Our leader... is the next Indian PM. You work without looking at AM or PM; you are definitely the next PM," he said.Even before him, senior TVK leader and minister KA Sengottaiyan asserted that Vijay had the "power to rule entire India"."I have travelled with MGR and Jayalalithaa... Vijay is the force who will not only rule Tamil Nadu but also the future India," Sengottaiyan said while listing the 100-day achievements of the TVK government.But, here's a reality check. Presently, Vijay-for-PM seems a far cry. He has much to prove as a chief minister before taking a leap to national politics.However, the actor-turned-politician has earned his own admirers with his tough talk on corruption, willingness to correct mistakes, and work ethic. His detractors have pointed to his U-turns on delimitation and politics of vendetta, like the arrest of Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, to attack his decision-making abilities.The timing is also interesting, as the TVK is looking to expand its footprint beyond Tamil Nadu. Last week, Malayalam actor and politician S Devan resigned as Kerala BJP vice-president and is likely to join the TVK. While there has been no formal announcement, Devan has likely been offered the post of TVK's Kerala state president.Overall, the 'Vijay-for-PM' chorus appears premature. The next Lok Sabha election is three years away. Vijay has been the chief minister for only a little over 100 days.The key question, however, is whether the TVK is merely testing the waters or seriously weighing the prospect of projecting Vijay as a national leader.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Sep 1, 2026 13:46 IST