Why internal bickering in Tamil Nadu Congress may hurt ties with DMK

An internal feud in the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) continues unabated over the party’s performance in the state in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The infighting between the camps led respectively by Karti Chidambaram and EVKS Elangovan has intensified to an extent that it has upset the party’s ally, the ruling DMK, in the state.

After the initial euphoria of the DMK-Congress combine's election campaign and resounding sweep in Tamil Nadu, some Congress leaders have begun to point out a need to strengthen their party within the state.

Karti’s speech sparks row

The trouble started when Karti Chidambaram released a video of an 11-minute speech he delivered at an internal meeting in Pudukkottai. He criticised the Congress’ reliance on the DMK and failure to hold the state government accountable for law and order issues.

He even suggested that the Congress should have be part of the ruling dispensation in Tamil Nadu in order to ensure its growth in the state.

“We have been winning Lok Sabha constituencies and Assembly segments in the last three elections because of the alliance we have formed with the DMK and other parties. The DMK's organisational strength is a key factor during the elections, no doubt. We seek votes with the help of welfare schemes implemented by the DMK," said Karti in his address.

"But it is not that the Congress does not add any value to the alliance. The Congress adds a strong secular stamp to the alliance. Many people vote for the alliance, hoping that if we emerge victorious, Rahul Gandhi will become the Prime Minister,” he added.

People's issues

Tamil Nadu Congress not only has to retain its voter base but also attract new people into the party, especially young voters, by vociferously speaking about people's issues, said Karti.

“While we take the good schemes of the state government to the people, we should also question the government when they fail. We have a duty to be the voice of the people because ultimately we are all here to represent them.

"If a party doesn’t have a substantial presence in local bodies, Assembly and the state government, it cannot grow,” he said, hinting that the Congress should be given a share in power in the DMK-led government.

Rival camp strikes back

However, senior Congress leader Elangovan strongly condemned Karti's speech, arguing that the party's primary focus should be opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

The Congress should address Tamil Nadu-specific issues with the DMK rather than raking them up publicly, said Elangovan. On the youth not joining the party, he attributed the trend to “negative examples” set by some young leaders, with Karti being one of them.

Talking to The Federal, Elangovan said: “The party should not think about anything other than opposing Modi. It should focus on bringing down the fascist government (at the Centre). It is more important for the country. There is a threat to democracy because of Modi and his party, we should focus on getting rid of him and bouncing back to power at the Centre. We can raise the Tamil Nadu specific issues with the DMK high command. We cannot ensure our party’s growth in Tamil Nadu by criticising the DMK in the public forums.’’

Nepotism charge

When asked about Karti’s observation that youngsters are not attracted to the Congress party and are rather opting for Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and even the party launched by actor Vijay, he said: “Many youths are not joining the Congress because we have some young leaders who set a bad example for them. If you want I can give a list and Karti Chidambaram stands first there.”

Earlier, in an interview to TV channel Puthiya Thalaimurai, Elangovan alleged that Congress functionaries of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency did not want Karti to be fielded and he got the ticket through his father and Congress veteran P Chidambaram.

“If he didn't desire an alliance with the DMK he should have contested alone in the recent Lok Sabha polls. All the party leaders in Sivaganga were upset with him – they even went to Delhi and petitioned against his candidature. He was allotted a ticket because of his father. No Congress functionary worked for his victory. He won only because of the DMK. He would have struggled to secure his deposit if he had contested without the alliance,” said Elangovan in the interview.

Not good for alliance: DMK

The Federal reached out to senior DMK leaders for comments on Congress leaders aiming to strengthen the party in the state and seeking a share in power. Pleading anonymity, a senior DMK leader said intra-party strife in the Congress doesn’t augur well for the alliance.

“It’s unacceptable, this infighting is unbearable for DMK. Their feud affects our reputation, too,” said the senior leader.

When contacted, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said: “Do you want me to talk like Karti Chidambaram? I don’t want to talk. My party headquarters will respond on this issue.”

However, DMK spokesperson and former MP TKS Elangovan told The Federal that Karti’s comments will not hurt the DMK-Congress alliance. He downplayed the impact of the comments on the alliance, emphasising the strong ties between Rahul Gandhi and DMK chief MK Stalin. Karti's views do not represent the party, he said, and dismissed his influence within the Congress.

“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi himself declared that Stalin should lead the alliance. We do not give any importance to views of other leaders. Rahul called Stalin his elder brother, and the two leaders will discuss all the issues concerning the alliance. Karti is not a messenger because he himself has no supporters in his own party. He won only because of DMK,’’ said TKS Elangovan.

‘DMK’s criticism may backfire’

Political commentator AS Panneerselvan noted that internal wrangling within the Congress, particularly criticism of the DMK, could backfire both at the state as well as the national level for the grand old party. He emphasised the importance of the Congress strengthening its ties with regional parties and uniting its leaders.

“The Congress is unable to retrieve its hold not just in Tamil Nadu but in several states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts. The party has to wake up from deep slumber with an understanding that regional parties are the wheels on which the party has to put up a balancing act as a national outfit," he said.

"Take the case of Gujarat. Despite the anti-incumbency factor, the Congress couldn’t even stand on its knees because of intense rivalry among its own leaders. In Tamil Nadu too, their growth stagnated after the 1980s. It's high time the party focused on strengthening its relationship with regional parties and coordinating its leaders to speak in one voice instead of competing with regional forces,” said Panneerselvan.

Power play

He said not just Karti Chidambaram, but other Congress leaders including TNCC chief Selvaperundhagai and former state unit president KS Alagiri dream of gaining power in Tamil Nadu.

“It is not an accidental speech by Karti. Many of them are nurturing that dream. But the reality is very different. The Congress performed well in the Lok Sabha polls because of strong allies like the DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The party needs to focus on the induction of fresh faces for its growth. Regional aspiration would curtail the future,” he said.