A growing campaign projecting Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate for 2029 has triggered a fresh political clash, with both the DMK and Congress questioning the idea.
The debate gained momentum after the latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey placed Vijay third among the preferred choices for Prime Minister, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The survey has given fresh momentum to supporters pushing the ‘Vijay for PM’ narrative, but the idea has not gone down well with allies and rivals in Tamil Nadu.
DMK Mocks ‘Vijay for PM’ Campaign
DMK leader RS Bharathi dismissed the growing talk of Vijay becoming Prime Minister, accusing TVK supporters of allowing their political imagination to run too far.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at the campaign, Bharathi said: “If party members speak, they will even say that he is going to become the head of the United Nations. Imagination, imagination, there is no limit to their imagination. Let them think whatever they want.”
Bharathi also questioned the political implications of the campaign, particularly because Congress remains an ally of TVK in Tamil Nadu while Rahul Gandhi continues to be projected as the Congress’s national Prime Ministerial face.
He said: “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?”
The DMK leader further challenged Congress supporters to make their position clear on the issue.
Congress Takes Indirect Aim at Vijay Survey
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also criticised the survey, although he did not directly mention Vijay or TVK in his initial remarks.
Tagore shared a Tamil post on X titled “The Fox’s Fake Poll”, using a story involving animals to question how opinion surveys are conducted.
The Congress leader raised questions about the number of people surveyed, the locations covered, the questions asked and the method used to arrive at the final results.
He concluded his post with: “Not every number tells the truth. Not every survey is the voice of the people.”
Tagore also used the hashtag #MOTN, indicating that his comments were aimed at the Mood of the Nation survey.
Vijay’s National Ambition Gains Attention
The discussion comes as Vijay completes his first 100 days as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after making a major political breakthrough by defeating the established Dravidian political forces.
Since then, the phrase ‘Vijay for PM in 2029’ has increasingly appeared in political discussions and among his supporters.
Posters supporting Vijay for the Prime Minister’s post have also surfaced in parts of Tamil Nadu, including Thoothukudi, adding a visible dimension to the emerging campaign.
The development could create an interesting situation for the TVK-Congress alliance, particularly if supporters of Vijay continue to push his national ambitions while Congress maintains its support for Rahul Gandhi as its preferred national leader.
Mood of the Nation Survey Fuels Political Debate
Vijay’s third-place position in the latest survey has provided supporters with a new talking point, even though the survey does not itself represent an election result or establish a future Prime Ministerial contest.
The reaction from the DMK and Congress shows how quickly a survey finding can become part of a wider political battle.
For now, the ‘Vijay for PM’ campaign remains largely a political narrative driven by his supporters. Whether it develops into a serious national ambition ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections will depend on Vijay’s political strategy, TVK’s electoral performance and the future shape of alliances in Tamil Nadu and at the national level.
