Congress MLA Tharahai Cuthbert Shifted to Opposition Front Row in TN Assembly

Chennai: Congress Legislature Party leader and MLA Tharahai Cuthbert was shifted to the front row of the Opposition benches in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, amid visible friction between the Congress and the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

Cuthbert was previously seated in the section allocated to TVK MLAs. However, her seating arrangement was changed on Monday, with the Congress leader taking up a seat in the front row of the Opposition benches.

The development comes amid growing speculation over the relationship between the Congress and TVK. A day earlier, Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar warned that Congress ministers in the state Cabinet would resign if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Kumar made the remarks on Saturday while speaking at the assumption-of-office ceremony of George Robinson, who took charge as president of the Kanyakumari West District Congress Committee. Kumar stated that Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister of India in 2029.

The statement followed remarks by TVK leaders projecting party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a contender for the Prime Minister's post. TVK PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna had previously stated that the country's top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu. The debate gained further momentum after a private media survey placed Vijay among preferred prime ministerial candidates for 2029, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

Reacting to the developments, BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan questioned why the Congress continues to remain in the TVK-led government despite public disagreements over national leadership, describing the statements from TVK ministers as a rejection of Rahul Gandhi.

The TVK government was established following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, where the party emerged as the largest force and formed the administration with support from the Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI, and CPI(M).