Rahul Gandhi to meet CM Vijay in Chennai ahead of student rally

Rahul Gandhi is in Chennai on Saturday to hold a massive student outreach event and meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at his residence. The visit, which includes a scheduled lunch meeting between the two leaders, comes at a moment of rapid political realignment in the state.

The Congress leader will host an interactive session at Island Grounds on Saturday evening. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore said that between 10,000 and 20,000 students have registered for the event using QR codes. The discussion will cover pressing local grievances, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), unemployment, women's education, and the Union government's education policy.

The meeting between Gandhi and Vijay is drawing intense interest following recent by-election results in Tamil Nadu. Vijay’s party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), recently captured the Madhuranthakam and Dharapuram assembly seats. Both constituencies were previously held by the AIADMK, which is now facing an internal crisis under E. Palaniswami as its traditional support base erodes.

Commenting on the political shift, Tagore remarked that the AIADMK's support base is increasingly moving towards the TVK, largely due to Vijay's performance during his first four months in office. Tagore also claimed this was the first Tamil Nadu by-election in 25 years where voters were not paid cash for votes, calling the result a clean victory for the TVK-led coalition.

The rapid rise of the TVK has drawn sharp criticism from rival quarters. DMK leader M.K. Stalin has repeatedly attacked the new administration, accusing them of "betrayal" and political theatrics. TVK minister K.G. Arunraj defended the election mandate, arguing that the public chose transparency and "voted consciously and deliberately for a change." TVK national spokesperson Sathya Kumar added that the outcome reflects deep voter trust in Vijay's leadership.

While the meeting has sparked debate, political observers are divided on the depth of the TVK's dominance. Analyst Sanjeevi Sadagopan noted that Vijay's party is successfully capturing the ground once held by the AIADMK, breaking old caste alignments in the process. However, analyst Sushil Rajkumar cautioned that narrow victory margins in these by-elections suggest political posturing rather than a massive popular wave.

Meanwhile, Gandhi's visit coincides with national friction. Congress has been demonstrating in New Delhi against the Election Commission, with Telangana Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy accusing the Chief Election Commissioner of bias. Tagore confirmed that despite these ongoing protests, Gandhi prioritised the Chennai event to keep his commitment to local students.