TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Sarathkumar have openly pitched Chief Minister Vijay for the Prime Minister’s post, triggering unease among allies.
Chennai: Throwing shade at the ruling party, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday declared that Chief Minister Vijay could even go on to become the President of the United States. The statement comes amid a growing “Vijay for Prime Minister” chorus within the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
“He could even become the President of US. He can replace Trump. It is not wrong. There is nothing wrong with it, it is his wish. He can become India’s President or Prime Minister,” the former Chief Minister said, deploying heavy sarcasm.
Dismissing the state government’s reliance on social media optics, Mr Palaniswami said, “They are running the government by putting out ‘reels’ here; that won’t work there.”
Shifting focus to the state’s administrative machinery, the AIADMK chief alleged a complete breakdown in governance since the new government took charge.
“Within 110 days, the law and order situation has completely collapsed. Wherever you look, murders, robberies, and clashes are increasing,” Mr Palaniswami said.
The TVK’s ‘Vijay For PM’ Pitch
TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Sarathkumar have openly pitched Vijay for the top post, while posters backing “Vijay for PM” have now surfaced in Tuticorin, triggering unease among the party’s political allies.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram had earlier dismissed the pitch, describing it as a “fan club mindset”.
It remains unclear whether the “Vijay for PM” campaign is aimed at the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections—which would potentially put him up against Rahul Gandhi’s Prime Ministerial ambitions—or if it is intended for a later national election.
Chief Minister Vijay himself has remained silent on the issue so far.
The political stakes are particularly high for the Vijay government, which currently holds only a narrow majority. TVK has 107 MLAs, falling 11 short of the 118 required for a simple majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
TVK’s alliance partner and MDMK chief Vaiko attempted to downplay the issue, stating he believes there was no such thought even in Vijay’s mind or imagination. He cautioned that party leaders should not publicly articulate positions that could complicate their alliance.