Manickam Tagore Takes Charge As TNCC Chief At Sathyamoorthy Bhavan

Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore officially took charge as the new state president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) at Sathyamoorthy Bhavan in Chennai on Monday. Upon taking office, Tagore declared that the party's singular focus is to install Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing party cadres at the state headquarters, the three-time MP issued a stern warning to political rivals. He cautioned that the Congress would aggressively hit back against any criticism directed at the party or its leadership.

"We have no personal issues with anyone. We are peace-loving people. But we will not remain silent if anyone criticises our leader. Whoever it may be," Tagore told the gathered party workers.

During his speech, Tagore targeted former ally DMK and its leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin and R S Bharathi, alongside several others. He labeled them "betrayers" and "backstabbers" for criticizing Rahul Gandhi following the realignment of post-poll allies.

The new TNCC chief also cautioned PMK leader Anbumani and NTK chief coordinator Seeman, telling them to refrain from criticizing the Congress leader.

Listing his main priorities for his tenure, Tagore urged party functionaries to set aside their personal differences and egos. He called on them to work as a unified force to achieve the party's target of winning all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2029 polls.

To secure these victories, Tagore stated that the party must frame the upcoming political contest directly. He urged cadres to build a narrative around whether the electorate wants Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi as their Prime Minister.