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Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday said the finalised name of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led (TVK) alliance in Tamil Nadu will be announced on September 9, which is when the alliance partners are scheduled to meet.
He said that Congress was the first to extend support to the TVK to form government in Tamil Nadu, after which others, including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), joined the alliance. The first time we met was in the first week of July for a discussion to formalise the alliance in an organised way. The Congress party was the first to support TVK, after which the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and VCK joined. The CPI and CPI(M) extended support from the outside. Now, the alliance is being formalised, and we will announce the finalised name on September 9 following the alliance meeting, Tagore told reporters here. The Congress leader took a veiled dig at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), saying that the days when his party was humiliated repeatedly were over. Congress is upbeat. Congress people are a lot more confident now. That is the whole story. Before May 4, we were humiliated again and again. Those days are over, Tagore said. Congress broke its over 50-year alliance with DMK following the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections in May while extending support to Vijay-led TVK. As this happened, DMK accused Congress of betrayal. Tagore informed about the transition from his role as All India Congress Committee (AICC) incharge for Andhra Pradesh, where local body elections are due, to his role as Tamil Nadu Congress president ahead of the alliance meeting with TVK. I am transitioning from my role as AICC incharge for Andhra Pradesh to serve as Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee President. My colleague PV Mohan is taking charge as the AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, and I wish him the very best, he said. Earlier, Tagore said that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. "I am again saying clearly that in the 2029 Parliament election, our leader Rahul Gandhi will be the PM candidate. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has just started to do his work as per the people's mandate," he said. Tagore further said there were attempts to create differences within the alliance but asserted that the Congress remained firm. "I know some journalists will try to break the alliance and want to create trouble. But we are clear on it," he added. Meanwhile, TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna, Anand, Arun Raj and others also met Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan at the party office and invited VCK to attend the upcoming alliance meeting. The developments come amid discussions over the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, after some TVK leaders projected party chief Vijay as a possible contender. (ANI)
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