Speaking to journalists during his visit to Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan said that if a Kannadiga (a person from Karnataka) and a Gujarati could become Prime Ministers, there was certainly a possibility of a Tamil person reaching the country’s top executive post.
Expressing confidence in India’s progress, he said that 15 years ago, people wondered whether India would ever become a global superpower. However, the country was now moving rapidly towards achieving that position.
Earlier, the Vice President attended the birth anniversary celebrations and Guru Pooja of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar in Madurai. He also offered prayers at the Meenakshi Amman Temple.
His remarks come amid an escalating political debate in Tamil Nadu over the proposed delimitation legislation and the question of who should represent the opposition alliance as its Prime Ministerial candidate in 2029.
Recently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay introduced a special resolution in the state Assembly opposing the delimitation bill proposed by the Central Government. During the debate, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) general secretary and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna argued that political power should not remain confined to northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. He said the country should also have a Prime Minister from a southern state like Tamil Nadu.
TVK Leaders Begin Projecting Vijay as 2029 Prime Ministerial Candidate
Following Aadhav Arjuna’s statement in the Assembly, senior TVK functionaries and ministers went a step further, declaring that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay would be projected as the country's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 parliamentary elections.
TVK MLA Kanimozhi Santhosh said that just as Rahul Gandhi had helped Vijay become Chief Minister, he would also help him become Prime Minister in 2029.
The Congress party is part of the TVK-led alliance. However, Congress wants to project Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2029 general elections.
The TVK leaders' move to position Vijay as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate has reportedly triggered considerable resentment within the Congress. S. Rajeshkumar, a Congress minister in the TVK-led government, has warned that if the TVK administration refuses to support Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, the Congress could be forced to withdraw from the Cabinet.
Opposition parties have mocked the political situation, suggesting that Vijay might as well contest as an alternative to US President Donald Trump.
Political analysts believe the Vice President's latest remarks could further deepen divisions within the TVK-Congress alliance. His statement that a Tamil person could become Prime Minister has added another dimension to the ongoing debate, particularly as Vijay's name is already being discussed in connection with the 2029 Prime Ministerial race.
The controversy had appeared to be subsiding when Radhakrishnan's comments brought the issue back into the spotlight, reopening the debate among TVK members over who should be projected as the alliance's Prime Ministerial candidate.
Analysts believe the remarks could weaken the Congress's efforts to establish Rahul Gandhi as the alliance's Prime Ministerial face in Tamil Nadu. The development also threatens to intensify disagreements within the secular, social justice-focused alliance, raising fresh questions about its political unity ahead of the 2029 general elections.
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