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Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister and Congress leader P Viswanathan on Thursday reiterated the party's position, saying that Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will be its Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 General Elections.
Viswanathan arrived at Tiruchirappalli International Airport from Chennai en route to Thiruvarur to attend various programmes. Answering aquestion of the Opposition INDIA blocs Prime Ministerial candidate, Viswanathan said there was no hesitation in stating the Congress partys position. He told reporters, 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." Amid Chief Minister Vijay's fans pitching him as a Prime Ministerial candidate, he added that every political party would naturally project its own leaders as candidates and said there was nothing wrong with the Congress projecting Rahul Gandhi, given the partys long political history. Responding to a question on 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. He also said that the view that Tamil Nadu CM Vijay could be projected as the PM candidate was based on an incorrect assessment. According to Viswanathan, Vijay himself may announce Rahul Gandhi's name, while he maintained that it was premature to discuss the issue. He described Rahul Gandhis political struggles as something that should be engraved in golden letters in world history." Viswanathan further said the Congress was working with the confidence that the Left parties would also join their alliance. The Tamil Nadu Minister also exuded confidence in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)'s victory in the upcoming by-elections in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies. On whether rising prices would have an impact on the upcoming by-elections, he said Vijays image would remain at its peak for the next 25 years and expressed confidence that their alliance would win the by-elections. The polling for bypolls will be held on October 6, with counting of votes on October 9. His remarks came a day after the TVK-led ruling alliance formally adopted the name Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance following a meeting of its constituent parties at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur. Earlier, Manickam Tagore also clarified that Vijays leadership of the state-level alliance should not be linked to the selection of the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He said Rahul Gandhi remained the Congress Prime Ministerial candidate, while the INDIA bloc would collectively decide its candidate. (ANI)
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