Chennai: Karti Chidambaram, Congress MP from Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga, believes the party must participate in governance in the state and cannot “remain on the sidelines forever”.
In an interview to ThePrint Monday, he acknowledged the divergent voices within the party over the alliance with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the state, and said it was “only natural” for the Congress in Tamil Nadu to seek participation in governance.
The DMK leads the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, and the Congress and DMK are also part of the multi-party national-level INDIA bloc of parties opposed to the BJP.
“I know there are speculations and many voices within my own party. We have been out of power (in Tamil Nadu) since 1967, and there has been no Congress minister (in the state) since then. So, there is obviously anxiety within the party. They (cadre) will look at all possible options,” he said.
However, Karti added that the DMK is crucial to the INDIA bloc.
“One must keep in mind that the INDIA alliance is also critical for the Congress. DMK’s MPs form a crucial part of the alliance, and that must be taken into account. There are multiple views within the party, and eventually, any decision will be taken in a holistic manner,” he said.
The two-term Member of Parliament and son of former Union minister and veteran party leader P. Chidambaram, also weighed in on last month’s stampede in Karur during actor-politician Vijay’s rally and acknowledged the popularity of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) that is challenging the other regional parties.
“I completely accept that he has support. I will not diminish it. It’s very clear from the enthusiasm with which people come to see him,” he said.
Speculation over the Congress warming up to the TVK was set off by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi calling Vijay in the wake of the Karur tragedy which claimed 41 lives.
Karti said the telephonic conversation between Gandhi and Vijay was not political.
“Rahul Gandhi speaking to Vijay could have been on humanitarian grounds. He spoke to Vijay after speaking to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu (DMK leader M.K. Stalin). My information is that he would have spoken to the CM and, after informing him, then only made that call,” he said, asserting that the INDIA bloc was intact.
“The DMK is an integral part of the INDIA alliance, and the information I have is that the Congress would not like to disturb the alliance in any significant way,” he told ThePrint.
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‘TVK popular but behaves like fan club’
Karti went on to criticise the TVK with regard to the Karur tragedy and termed the party as “still a fan club”.
“In my opinion, this organisation has not yet become a political party—it is still a fan club. It behaves like one. The people who attend the meetings come to watch the leader as fans, not as political workers eager to hear ideas,” he said.
He added that the “fan-based approach” showed in the party’s structure.
“There are no command-and-control systems within the organisation. While there is blame on the district administration and the police (for the stampede), there is definitely blame on this organisation too, because they do not seem to be disciplined,” Karti said.
According to him, Vijay’s response to the tragedy did not reflect that of a seasoned political leader. “He did not behave like a conventional political leader. A conventional leader would have stayed his ground, gone to meet the affected families and given an explanation. That’s how political leaders act.”
While DMK allies, including VCK, CPI and CPI(M), have been demanding action against Vijay, the government has said any action would be taken based on the report of the inquiry commission set up to probe the stampede. With regard to the “lenient” stance toward Vijay, Karti said it was the right approach. “We are just taking the right approach. Why should someone be arrested immediately? Arrest must be a last recourse,” he added.
Karti also acknowledged Vijay’s growing popularity and huge support base, especially among first-time voters. “There is support particularly from first-time voters and younger people because they don’t like traditional parties or the status quo. But whether that support will convert into votes and votes into seats, I cannot say today. There are too many fast-moving events. Tamil Nadu is in flux,” he explained.
On Vijay’s apparent vote share, he said: “I don’t want to speculate. I have my views. I completely concede that there is a noticeable vote share. Whether it is enough, I don’t know. Whether it will continue with the unfolding events, I don’t know. Having support is one thing; converting it organisationally into votes is another.”
‘Having majority doesn’t mean…’
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly election, the DMK had contested 174 of 234 seats, ceding 60 to allies. The party went on to win 125 seats alone. Ally Congress had contested 25 seats and won 18.
On internal party aspirations, Karti said: “The aspirations within the party have been there since 1967. People will obviously explore options that might fulfil their aspirations. You can’t fault them for that. You can’t say (to an ally) that you will contest minimal seats and not participate in government. How is that possible?”
He cited power-sharing examples from states like Andhra Pradesh.
“Look at Andhra Pradesh. Chandrababu Naidu’s government has an absolute majority and yet he has accommodated his alliance partners in the government. In Tamil Nadu, when the Congress’ ally didn’t have a majority at one point, we were not accommodated in the government. Even now, when they have a clear majority, we have not been accommodated,” he told ThePrint.
He added that as a political party, expecting ministerial representation was natural. “As a political party, for our cadres to expect their MLAs to become ministers is natural.”
“Even the BJP in 2019, when they had an absolute majority, accommodated their pre-poll allies in the (Union) cabinet. Having a majority doesn’t mean you cannot accommodate allies,” he added. Despite the aspirations towards power-sharing in the party, Karti said an open demand for the same would be premature. “The Congress party has ambitions of participating in the government and hopefully one day heading the government. If we don’t have such ambitions, why would we be a political party?” he asked.
In Tamil Nadu’s crowded political arena, Karti admitted that space for the Congress was limited. “It’s tough. As more parties emerge, the space for the Congress gets squeezed,” he said.
“When it comes to national elections, there is a demand for the Congress because we bring a secular sheen to the alliance, and regional parties want to join us to make their front viable. In India, there are only two national parties, and people prefer alliances with national parties. But in state elections, our space shrinks, and we have to make a mark by speaking about local issues,” he added.
Karti went on to criticise his own party’s approach in Tamil Nadu.
“My crib with the Congress is that we are not talking about local issues. Our politics is mostly about national issues and being anti-BJP. Just because we are in alliance with a ruling party doesn’t mean we can’t talk about local issues affecting people every day. Not speaking about them is one of our weaknesses in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
While there are growing aspirations within the Congress, Karti was cautious in his words. “I am not willing to publicly speak about the counsel I give to my political party.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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