Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister P Viswanathan on Friday said that Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will be the Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2029 elections, while expressing confidence in the Congress' political position in the state.
Viswanathan was one of the 2 MLAs from Congress to get minister berths in TVK-led Government.
Speaking in Chennai, Viswanathan said there was no room for ambiguity on Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the Prime Minister's post. He said the Congress was certain that Rahul Gandhi would be its Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2029 elections.
"I do not want to comment on the question of Deputy Prime Ministerial candidate Vijay. We are sure that Rahul Gandhi will be the Prime Ministerial candidate. There is no room for other questions," Viswanathan said.
He said the Congress's state unit was "active and healthy" and expressed confidence in the party's prospects after its alliance with Vijay in Tamil Nadu.
Viswanathan also said Congress workers across Tamil Nadu, from Kanyakumari to Tiruttani, were carrying out political activities with strength. He said the party had begun its preparations well ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections.
"Congress party comrades from Kanyakumari to Tiruttare doing politics with strength. We have started work since there are two and a half years before the elections in Parliament," he added.
According to Viswanathan, Tamil Nadu Congress president Manickam Tagore had formulated plans for the party, and the organisation was progressing rapidly based on those plans.
"There is no problem between the Thavek-Congress. It happens in all parties," he said, while addressing questions about the relationship between the two parties.
Viswanathan also referred to the possibility of other opposition leaders being projected as Prime Ministerial candidates by their respective parties. He said Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and Chandrababu Naidu could be named as Prime Ministerial candidates by their respective parties.
However, he maintained that Rahul Gandhi would be the Congress's Prime Ministerial candidate and described him as the only secular party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 elections.
"Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and Chandrababu Naidu will be named as the prime ministerial candidates by their respective parties. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be the only secular party's prime ministerial candidate in the 2029 elections," he said.
Meanwhile, TVK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Sengottaiyan reiterated TVK's stance on 'Vijay as PM' pitch.
When asked about TVK chief and CM Vijay being projected as a Prime Ministerial candidate, he said, "As far as we are concerned, our leader is very clear. Tamil Nadu has voted with faith in him. Within two years of the party's formation, it had achieved a major victory and had secured a new election symbol within two months before winning with it... The Chief Minister was taking all necessary steps to protect the people of Tamil Nadu and implement schemes that were desired by the public."
