Congress will not be dictated by TVK, Narayanasamy says; Rahul Gandhi is INDIA bloc's PM candidate

Puducherry's former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V. Narayanasamy on Wednesday strongly defended Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition INDIA bloc for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He also asserted that the Congress party is not a "slave" to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

"Just because we are in alliance with the TVK, we (the Congress party) are not slaves. Mr. Gandhi is the Prime Ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc," Narayanasamy told reporters at a press conference. He was responding to recent statements by some TVK leaders projecting Vijay as a possible Prime Ministerial candidate.

The former Chief Minister downplayed those endorsements, saying that party workers naturally express enthusiasm for their own leaders. "The TVK leaders would like to see their leader as Prime Minister, and such statements need not be given any political colour, as is being done by the DMK and BJP in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Narayanasamy expressed confidence that the political scenario would evolve in such a way that Vijay himself would eventually endorse Gandhi for the country's top post. "The political situation in the country is changing, and Mr. Vijay himself will endorse Mr. Gandhi as the Prime Minister of the country," he predicted.

These remarks come at a time when the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties, is preparing for the forthcoming general elections. While the Congress has consistently projected Gandhi as its leader, some regional allies have preferred to keep their options open. The TVK, a regional party that is in alliance with the Congress, has a significant presence in Tamil Nadu and has been asserting itself in coalition matters.

In a separate development, Narayanasamy questioned Puducherry Chief Minister and All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder N. Rangasamy's commitment to the long-standing demand for full statehood for the Union Territory. The Congress leader alleged that Rangasamy was never serious about achieving statehood, saying he was "only interested in securing his Chief Ministerial position."

Pointing to the AINRC's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Puducherry, Narayanasamy challenged Rangasamy to give an ultimatum to the BJP that he would resign if the statehood demand was not met. "He would never do that, as he is only interested in the Chief Minister's chair," the former Chief Minister alleged.

Narayanasamy also urged Rangasamy to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to press the demand. "Mr. Rangasamy should at least now take an all-party delegation to Delhi to make a strong demand for statehood," he said.

The demand for full statehood for Puducherry has been a recurring issue in the territory's politics. Several political parties and local organisations have argued that statehood would give the region more autonomy in governance and financial matters. The issue has been raised at different times, but no concrete timeline has been set by successive governments at the Centre.