CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Minister P Viswanathan on Friday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was the INDIA bloc's "definitive" prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

His remarks came amid growing calls from ruling TVK ministers, legislators and sections of the public to project Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a possible prime ministerial candidate, as a wider debate continues over other potential national leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal.

"As Congress leaders, we are very clear. Our beloved leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate for 2029," Viswanathan said.

Providing details of Tamil Nadu's efforts to ensure the safety of tourists from the state stranded in Nepal, Viswanathan said a four-member ministerial committee was urgently dispatched to the neighbouring country on Thursday night to oversee relief measures.

The death toll from flash floods rose to 469 earlier on Friday, as search-and-rescue operations continued for a third day, with nearly 1,000 people still missing in the Himalayan nation.

"To monitor the situation 24/7, the Tamil Nadu government has opened dedicated control rooms in both Chennai and New Delhi," the senior Congress leader added.

Responding to opposition criticism that several hours of Assembly proceedings were being taken up by "unwanted conversations", the minister for Higher Education strongly defended the legislative process.

He said the Assembly was the appropriate forum for debate, where all elected representatives had an opportunity to express their views.