Congress MLA and Tamil Nadu Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Tharahai Cuthbert was seated in the front row of the Opposition benches in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, drawing attention amid growing political differences between the Congress and ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).Cuthbert had earlier been seated among the TVK MLAs on the ruling side. Her new position came after she was appointed Congress Legislature Party leader in the Assembly earlier this month.The change in seating came against the backdrop of recent remarks by Congress minister S Rajesh Kumar, who said he would resign from the TVK-led state Cabinet if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition party's preferred Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.However, the seating change itself was explained as a consequence of Cuthbert's new position as CLP leader, rather than confirmation that Congress had withdrawn support from the TVK government.

Why was Cuthbert moved?

Cuthbert was appointed CLP leader on August 14 after Rajesh Kumar, the previous Congress Legislature Party leader, became a minister in the TVK-led government. She is the second woman to head the Congress Legislature Party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.Under the new arrangement, Cuthbert was allotted a front-row seat reserved for leaders of legislativeparties. She was seated alongside PMK leader Saumya Anbumani on the Opposition side.The change initially attracted political attention because Congress is supporting the TVK-ledgovernment, and Cuthbert had previously occupied a seat among TVK legislators.The Assembly Speaker subsequently clarified that the front-row placement was linked to Cuthbert's position as Congress Legislature Party leader, easing speculation over whether the seating change represented an immediate political break.

Congress-TVK tensions in focus

The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the Congress-TVK relationship.Rajesh Kumar said on August 30 that he would quit the Cabinet if TVK did not accept Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha election. His comments came after sections of TVK began projecting party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a potential national political figureTVK leaders have also spoken about Vijay's possible national role, adding to speculation over the future direction of the alliance.Congress was among the parties that supported TVK in government formation after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. Cuthbert herself won the Colachel constituency and remains a Congress MLA.For now, there is no confirmed indication that Congress has withdrawn support from the TVK government. The immediate seating change appears to be an Assembly arrangement linked to Cuthbert's elevation as CLP leader, although the wider political tensions between the two parties remain a developing story.