Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay was ranked among the top candidates for prime minister in the most recent India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey, which strengthened the TVK's "Vijay for PM" campaign. The opposition DMK and even its ally, Congress, have harshly criticized the party's narrative.
The Congress threatened to leave Vijay's government if his party would not support Rahul Gandhi for prime minister in 2029, while DMK leader RS Bharathi ridiculed the TVK's bluster, claiming there was "no limit to their imagination". Senior Congress politician Manickam Tagore tweeted, "Not every number tells the truth," without mentioning Vijay. Not all surveys represent the opinions of the people.
Additionally, if Vijay's party does not back Rahul Gandhi in 2029, the Congress has threatened to leave his ministry.
In the most recent Mood of the Nation survey, which was released on August 28 and evaluates how voters would cast ballots if the Lok Sabha elections were held today, Vijay came in third. He was behind Congressman Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
DMK secretary Bharathi responded to a question regarding TVK's push by saying, "If party members speak, they will even say that he is going to become the head of the United Nations." Their creativity is boundless. Allow them to think as they please.
Additionally, he questioned the ramifications of portraying Vijay as prime minister while Rahul Gandhi continues to serve as the Congress's prime minister. "The moment someone says that he will become the Prime Minister, they have already decided that it will not be Rahul Gandhi, haven't they?" he asked, referring to Tamil Nadu's ruling allies, the Congress and TVK.Let Congressmen publicly declare that they have determined that Rahul Gandhi will not be prime minister if they have any self-respect. "No, no, let these people continue to worship him; he will be prime minister," Bharathi continued.
Rajesh Kumar, a Congress member in Vijay's government, dismissed the talks and stated that the party has a clear plan for the 2029 general elections. He also threatened to quit from the Tamil Nadu cabinet if the TVK did not back Rahul Gandhi for prime minister.Every minister asserts that our chief minister will be the next prime minister.
I want to be clear that our leader Rahul Gandhi will become prime minister following the 2029 election, as my friends in the media frequently ask me about this. Both Congress ministers will resign from their positions if the TVK rejects this, the minister stated.
Manickam Tagore, the head of the Tamil Nady Congress, criticized the survey without specifically mentioning Vijay or the TVK.
Every minister asserts that our chief minister will be the next prime minister.
Tagore shared a Tamil post on X titled "The Fox's Fake Poll," which told a story about a fox conducting an alleged animal census and using the results to sow discord between an elephant and a lion.
The narrative raises concerns about the survey's methodology, including how many animals were questioned, where it was done, who the fox spoke to, what questions were asked, and how the findings were computed.
"Not every number tells the truth," Tagore wrote after that. The voice of the people is not always reflected in surveys.
Although Tagore did not specifically mention Vijay or the TVK in the article, the hashtag #MOTN at the end made his intent clear.
Every minister asserts that our chief minister will be the next prime minister.
Vijay's ally and MDMK chairman Vaiko refuted the story, stating that Rahul Gandhi is the INDIA bloc's only viable candidate for prime minister. He went on to say that he didn't think Vijay had any such goals.Rahul Gandhi is without a doubt the INDIA bloc's PM candidate. Vaiko stated, "I doubt Vijay has any aspirations to be PM," and he urged the TVK-aligned minister to stop saying such things.
"Neither the honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu nor anyone in their party has any such thought or intention, not even a fraction of it," he continued.
Every minister asserts that our chief minister will be the next prime minister.
A new political narrative—Vijay for PM in 2029—began to take hold both online and offline as Vijay completed 100 days in office following a stunning electoral upset that saw him defeat the Dravidian heavyweights in Tamil Nadu. Posters endorsing Vijay for the position of prime minister were seen in Thoothukudi and other regions of Tamil Nadu, demonstrating the nation's aspirations.
