New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar has warned that Congress ministers could resign from the state Cabinet if the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) does not support Rahul Gandhi as the party’s preferred prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at a programme marking George Robinson’s appointment as President of the Kanyakumari West District Congress Committee, Rajesh Kumar expressed confidence that Rahul Gandhi would become India’s Prime Minister in 2029.
The remarks come amid a politically significant arrangement in Tamil Nadu, where TVK Chief C Joseph Vijay is heading a coalition government that includes the Congress. The Congress currently has two ministerial positions in the state Cabinet, marking its return to the Tamil Nadu government after several decades.
TVK emerged as the largest party in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning 108 of the 234 seats. With 118 seats required for a simple majority, the party relied on support from the Congress and other allies to form the government, with Vijay becoming Chief Minister.
Congress’s return to the Cabinet represents a major shift in the state’s political landscape. The party had remained outside the Tamil Nadu government since 1967, even during periods when it extended support to governments led by the DMK.
Rajesh Kumar’s comments also come as sections of the TVK leadership increasingly discuss Vijay’s prospects beyond Tamil Nadu. PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna has previously argued that a leader from Tamil Nadu should occupy the country’s highest political office.
The possibility of Vijay emerging as a contender for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections has gained further attention following a survey that placed him among the leading choices for prime minister, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
The contrasting ambitions could become an important factor in the future of the TVK Congress alliance as preparations for the 2029 elections gradually take shape.
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