TNCC chief: Rahul Gandhi is PM face, Vijay should stay Tamil Nadu CM

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore on Tuesday asserted that Rahul Gandhi is the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition alliance, while making it clear that Chief Minister Vijay should remain in his current role in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters, Tagore responded to opinion polls that have projected Vijay as a popular choice for the Prime Minister's post. He dismissed such projections, stating that the Congress is clear about its leadership. "Rahul Gandhi is the Prime Ministerial candidate," he said, adding that the party wants Vijay to continue as Chief Minister because he is delivering corruption-free governance.

Tagore also alleged that certain media houses are attempting to create friction between the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the Congress. He described these efforts as a conspiracy aimed at spoiling the relationship between the two parties, which are part of a broader opposition alliance.

In a separate remark, the TNCC chief said the state unit will push for a statue of freedom fighter Puli Thevan to be installed in Parliament. He also contrasted the functioning of Parliament with the Tamil Nadu Assembly, noting that while the former is not functioning fairly, Speaker JCD Prabhakar is conducting proceedings in a just manner by balancing the voices of both the ruling party and the Opposition.