TVK Keeps Option Open to Project Vijay as Prime Minister Candidate in 2029

TVK leaders in Chennai have not ruled out projecting party chief and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay as a Prime Minister candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, following a television channel survey that placed him third in national popularity ratings.

The survey attributed 9.2 percent popular support to Vijay for the Prime Minister post, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In response, Congress leader and Higher Education minister P. Viswanathan asserted on Sunday that Rahul Gandhi would remain their party's prime ministerial candidate.

However, TVK ministers K.A. Sengottaiyan and C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar did not dismiss the possibility of TVK projecting Vijay for the top post. Speaking to the media at Coimbatore airport, Revenue minister Sengottaiyan stated that Vijay's ideas and plans to provide clean governance have elevated him to a national-level leader, adding that future political developments cannot be determined now.

Addressing the media in Madurai, Law minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar noted that the national survey showed Vijay in third place in the race for Prime Minister. He indicated that specific election strategies, including whether to project Rahul Gandhi for the post, have not been worked out so far.

The TVK has not joined the INDIA bloc and has not formally revealed its strategy for the Lok Sabha elections. The party has been conducting campaigns in north India and sharing social media content to build Vijay's profile as a national leader. Regional allies including Vaiko's MDMK, Thol. Thirumavalavan's VCK, and the IUML are considered unlikely to object to such a campaign, though Congress intends to project Gandhi.

Congress supporters speaking in television debates alleged the survey was a conspiracy to create friction between TVK and the Congress. The survey findings, however, may strengthen TVK's position in seat-sharing negotiations ahead of the 2029 elections.