Barely months after the TVK-Congress alliance came to power in Tamil Nadu, a remark by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore has raised questions over the equations between the two parties. Responding to ministers and cadres projecting Chief Minister Vijay as a future Prime Minister, Tagore dismissed the slogans as something that should not be taken seriously, saying even his own supporters chant that he should become Prime Minister or a Union Minister.
Tagore made the remarks in Madurai while speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to freedom fighter S. Satyamurthy on his 139th birth anniversary at his statue in Simmakkal, as reported in Dinamani.
He also welcomed people who had joined the Congress from other political parties by honouring them with stoles carrying the message, “Avoid bribery, hold your head high.”
“I Am Also Called PM By My Cadres”
Asked about TVK ministers referring to Chief Minister Vijay as a future Prime Minister, Tagore sought to play down the statements.
“When cadres come, they also raise slogans saying that I should become the Prime Minister or a Union Minister. Such slogans should not be taken too seriously,” he said.
Tagore added that Rahul Gandhi remained the face of the Opposition and recalled the Congress’s role in the formation of the present government in Tamil Nadu.
“Rahul Gandhi is the face of the Opposition. It was the Congress party that first extended support for forming this government in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He also took a swipe at the TVK ministers making such statements.
“If we start responding to the slogans raised by cadres, we can keep responding forever. I consider the TVK ministers as cadres,” Tagore said.
The comments come at a time when sections of the TVK leadership and party supporters have increasingly projected Vijay beyond Tamil Nadu politics, with slogans describing him as a future national leader and Prime Minister.
Tagore’s remarks, however, suggest that the Congress leadership is not inclined to treat such projections as an indication of the alliance’s future political direction.
Congress Draws A Line On Vijay’s National Ambitions?
The comments could also point to an early difference in political messaging between the two allies.
While TVK leaders have sought to build Vijay’s image as a leader with ambitions extending beyond the state, the Congress has continued to emphasise Rahul Gandhi’s position as the face of the Opposition at the national level.
Tagore’s reminder that the Congress was the first party to support the formation of the Tamil Nadu government also appeared to underline the Congress’s contribution to the alliance’s political success.
His statement that he regards TVK ministers as “cadres” rather than political figures whose statements need to be taken seriously further sharpens the contrast.
Whether the remarks signal a genuine strain within the alliance or are merely an attempt by the Congress to rein in premature speculation about Vijay’s national ambitions remains to be seen.
On Cars For MLAs
Tagore was also asked about the government’s decision to provide cars to MLAs.
He defended the move, arguing that legislators should be provided with the facilities necessary to discharge their responsibilities, while stressing the need for an administration free of corruption.
“If you want legislators who do not indulge in corruption and are free from bribery, then the necessary facilities should be provided to them. That is the right thing to do,” he said.
“For a new beginning, the necessary facilities should be provided,” Tagore added.
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