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Political sparring over actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy Vijay, has intensified in Tamil Nadu. Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has been projecting him as a potential future Prime Minister of India.

After TVK leaders described Vijay as the country’s next prime minister, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram took a dig at the claim, saying any leader or alliance needs the support of 272 Lok Sabha MPs to form the government.

What Did Congress MP Karti Chidambaram Say?

Reacting to TVK’s claims about Vijay as a potential prime ministerial candidate, Karti Chidambaram said 272 MPs are required for any leader to become Prime Minister of India.

According to him, if a political party or alliance has the support of 272 MPs, its leader can become the prime minister.

Chidambaram said TVK is a political party centred arounda a major film star and can therefore have its own hopes, dreams and ambitions regarding its leader. His remarks were seen as a response to TVK leaders projecting Vijay as the country’s next prime minister.

Congress Takes Aim At Vijay’s Politics

Tamil Nadu Congress chief Manickam Tagore had earlier also commented on TVK and Vijay’s politics. He said TVK leaders were still operating with a fan-club mindset and that changing such an approach would not be easy.

Tagore said everyone was aware of the country’s current political situation. Targeting the BJP, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of trying to weaken the Opposition. He said the Congress was fighting the BJP, but the two parties had different political styles.

Congress Repeats Rahul Gandhi’s Name

The Congress has also continued to project Rahul Gandhi as one of its key faces for the prime ministerial post. On August 22, Manickam Tagore reiterated Rahul Gandhi’s name while highlighting the party’s long-standing position on NEET in Tamil Nadu.

Tagore said the state should have the right to decide how technical examinations are conducted. He claimed Rahul Gandhi was a key force behind the Congress’ 2019 manifesto promise to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET.

According to Tagore, Rahul Gandhi had promised that Tamil Nadu would be exempted from NEET if the Congress came to power at the Centre. He also said the state should receive the exemption before Rahul Gandhi becomes prime minister, with Class 12 examination results serving as the basis for medical college admissions.

TVK Leaders Call Vijay ‘Next Prime Minister’

Several TVK leaders have made strong statements about making Vijay the party’s face for the prime ministerial post. Tamil Nadu minister M Sarathkumar had described Vijay as the next Indian prime minister.

He said Vijay was already the chief minister in the hearts and homes of his supporters as well as at Fort St George, and claimed that he would certainly become the country’s next prime minister.

Call For PM From South India

Another TVK leader, Aadhav Arjuna, has also spoken about a claim to the prime ministerial post from South India.

He said the current political system allows five or six northern states coming together to determine who becomes prime minister. Calling for a change in this system, he said the prime minister should be chosen from the southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, in the future.

With TVK projecting Vijay as a potential prime ministerial face and the Congress reiterating Rahul Gandhi’s name, the issue is likely to remain a talking point in Tamil Nadu politics in the coming days.