Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be the “face of the INDIA bloc” in the 2029 elections, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said on Sunday.
Venugopal's remarks come amid the some of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam supporters' pitch for Vijay as the prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls.
“Nobody should create any such confusion. Rahul Gandhi will be the face of the INDIA alliance,” Venugopal said, responding to reporters' queries about reports projecting ‘Vijay as PM’ candidate. He said the TVK had not made any such demand, PTI news agency reported.
‘Fight Rahul leading is being discussed most in India today’: Venugopal
Venugopal said Rahul's political campaigns on multiple issues, including those of students, farmers and the youth, had received attention throughout the country.
“It is the fight he is leading that is being discussed the most in India today-whether it is for students, farmers, or the youth. Everyone has accepted that,” the AICC general secretary said.
{{/usCountry}}“It is the fight he is leading that is being discussed the most in India today-whether it is for students, farmers, or the youth. Everyone has accepted that,” the AICC general secretary said.
{{/usCountry}}Venugopal said Rahul is the “most prominent leader loved by the people of India today”. “Everyone is listening to Rahul Gandhi's decisions and actions with great attention,” PTI cited Venugopal as saying. The Congress general secretary said the INDIA bloc was “moving forward”. “There are some issues in a few states where they are competing against each other. Otherwise, it is the INDIA alliance itself that is moving forward,” he said.
TVK's ‘Vijay as PM’ pitch draws Cong ministers' resignation threat
TVK leaders' and supporters' ‘Vijay as PM’ pitch had sparked rumours of a rift with the Congress on the issue. The debate began after some Vijay posters were seen in parts of Tamil Nadu's port-industrial city of Thoothukudi, with the phrase "Tomorrow’s PM” written on them.
The posters were put up by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) functionary Sudhakar, who recently joined the Vijay-led party after leaving AIADMK. TVK leaders backed the projection of Vijay as PM for 2029, with TVK PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna saying that the country's top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu minister KA Sengottaiyan had reiterated this on Friday, saying the TVK's leader was “very clear.” “As far as we are concerned, our leader is very clear. Tamil Nadu has voted with faith in him..” Sengottaiyan said.
However, this drew Congress ministers' displeasure, with ministers from the party threatening they would resign from Vijay's state cabinet. Tamil Nadu Congress president B Manickam Tagore had earlier said some TVK leaders were “still operating in a fan-club mode.”
(With inputs from PTI)