Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday said Rahul Gandhi would lead the INDIA bloc in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, dismissing reports that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was being projected as the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate.
Venugopal was responding to questions about reports suggesting that the TVK had sought to project Vijay for the prime minister’s post ahead of the 2029 parliamentary elections. He said the party had made no such demand.
“Nobody should create any such confusion. Rahul Gandhi will be the face of the INDIA alliance,” Venugopal said.
Asked specifically whether Gandhi would lead the alliance in the 2029 elections, Venugopal said, “Definitely. Rahul Gandhi is the most prominent leader loved by the people of India today. Everyone is listening to Rahul Gandhi's decisions and actions with great attention.”
He said Gandhi’s campaigns on issues concerning students, farmers and the youth had received widespread attention across the country.
“It is the fight he is leading that is being discussed the most in India today, whether it is for students, farmers, or the youth. Everyone has accepted that,” he said.
Venugopal maintained that the INDIA bloc remained strong despite differences among its constituents in some states, where alliance partners are contesting against each other.
“The INDIA alliance is moving forward. There are some issues in a few states where they are competing against each other. Otherwise, it is the INDIA alliance itself that is moving forward. That is the truth,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the CPI(M), which is part of the INDIA bloc, Venugopal alleged that the party in Kerala had failed to learn from its mistakes and blamed Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan for preventing it from doing so.
He said differences within the opposition alliance would eventually be resolved.
Venugopal also stepped up his criticism of the BJP-led government, alleging that it was taking the country towards a “dark age”.
Referring to the student protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and the subsequent police action, he accused the Centre of continuing to justify the crackdown.
“The incident happened at Jantar Mantar. The central government is continuing to justify it. They are even justifying the crackdown on students,” he said.
He also referred to the reported “purification” of a stage in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a gathering there, saying such incidents reflected a deteriorating political climate.
“This is leading India into a dark age. A strong fight against this is essential in the country, and that is our interest as well,” Venugopal said.
(With inputs from PTI)