TN minister reiterates Rahul Gandhi for PM pitch; rules out Vijay as contender | India News
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu minister and Congress leader P Viswanathan on Thursday reiterated that Rahul Gandhi will be the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, saying he would also be projected as the INDIA bloc’s candidate.Viswanathan made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Tiruchirappalli International Airport, where he arrived from Chennai en route to Thiruvarur to attend various programmes.Rahul Gandhi remains Congress’ choiceAsked who would be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc, Viswanathan said there was “no hesitation” in stating the Congress’ position, news agency ANI reported.“I am a Congressperson by birth. Our clear position is that Rahul Gandhi should be the Prime Ministerial candidate. Rahul Gandhi will be chosen as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc,” he said.Responding to a question about Congress MP Manickam Tagore allegedly being hesitant to name Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate, Viswanathan said, “As a Congress minister, I openly declare that Rahul Gandhi is our Prime Ministerial candidate for 2029.”Vijay’s PM pitch dismissedViswanathan also rejected suggestions that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay could be projected as the Opposition’s Prime Ministerial candidate.He said it was natural for every political party to project its own leader and there was nothing wrong with the Congress putting forward Rahul Gandhi, given the party’s long political history.Viswanathan said the assessment that Vijay could be projected as the PM candidate was incorrect and suggested that Vijay himself could announce Rahul Gandhi’s name. He, however, said it was too early to discuss the issue.
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Praising Rahul Gandhi’s political journey, Viswanathan said his struggles should be “engraved in golden letters in world history”.Congress hopes Left will join allianceThe minister also said the Congress was working with the confidence that the Left parties would join its alliance.His remarks came a day after the TVK-led ruling alliance formally adopted the name “Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance” at a meeting of its constituent parties at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur.
