Chennai: Taking charge as the state president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore on Monday declared that the party’s singular focus is to install Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.Addressing cadres at Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, Tagore issued a stern warning to political rivals, cautioning that Congress would aggressively “hit back” against any criticism directed at the party or its leadership. “We have no personal issues with anyone. We are peace-loving people. But we will not remain silent if anyone criticises our leader. Whoever it may be,” he said. He referred to former ally DMK and its leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin, R S Bharathi, and several others, labeling them “betrayers” and “backstabbers” for criticising Rahul Gandhi following the realignment of post-poll allies. He also cautioned PMK leader Anbumani and NTK chief coordinator Seeman to refrain from criticising the Congress leader.Listing his priorities, the three-time MP urged functionaries to set aside their differences and egos to work as a unified force to achieve their target of winning all 39 seats in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. “We should build a narrative around whether the electorate wants Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi as their PM. Surveys show that 60-65% of people want our leader Rahul Gandhi as the PM. We should work hard to translate the people’s wish into action.”He called TVK a “respectful ally” and credited them with aiding the revival of Congress in Tamil Nadu, as after 59 years, the party has representation in the cabinet. Noting that this is a crucial juncture, Tagore emphasised that party functionaries must work in tandem to take the party to the next level. He confirmed they would continue their alliance in the local body polls and guaranteed that hardworking and loyal functionaries would be given opportunities.He also appreciated his predecessors, comparing the role of the state president to a relay race, and assured to do his part. He appealed to ministers Rajeshkumar and P Viswanathan to meet party cadres and functionaries at Satyamoorthy Bhavan once a week after office hours. He also cautioned them to watch their words and actions, as they could attract criticism.Tagore’s predecessor K Selvaperunthagai earlier said that he had retrieved party property worth around ₹5,000 crore and established village-level committees in more than 17,000 villages during his tenure, which lasted 34 months. “I have created a robust infrastructure and retrieved party property. The new president can deliver with the existing party infra without doing much,” Selvaperunthagai said. He added that he was stepping down from the position with “double happiness” and thanked the party leadership for giving him the opportunity to serve Congress.
