CHENNAI: Ahead of formal alliance negotiations, the Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar on Monday said the ruling DMK has, in principle, shown openness to sharing power at the local body level, even as seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Assembly election are yet to begin.
Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar, in an interview to TNIE’s Prabhakar Tamilarasu, said the issue was discussed during recent interactions between senior leaders of the two parties, including a meeting between Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and Chief Minister M K Stalin. Edited Excerpts:
DMK has begun inviting its allies for seat-sharing talks. Has it formally invited Congress yet?
No, they have not yet invited us. We are waiting for the talks to start officially.
What are Congress’s demands?
That we will let you know once the negotiation starts. We will then be able to update you exactly what we are asking and what they are giving.
Even before the official talks, you met DMK leader Kanimozhi. Are there parallel discussions happening?
These talks normally happen for smooth coordination. We may have expectations and discuss up to what level those expectations can go. She is in touch with our leaders also, and we discussed our aspirations with her.
There have been high profile visits of leaders between Chennai and Delhi even before the commencement of formal talks, what exactly is happening?
Yesterday (Sunday), it was a courtesy call. Our general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal met Honorable Chief Minister MK Stalin and they discussed alliance as well. On sharing seats, the talks remained inconclusive. The talks will continue.
They have discussed sharing power at the panchayat level, local bodies and corporations. Our main condition is about seats and once both our committees meet, we will be able to communicate about it.
Has DMK agreed to share power at the local body level?
Yes, they did not have any problem when Venugopal ji met the Honorable Chief Minister. In principle, they did not have any problem.
Is Congress seeking a share in power at the state level?
Which party will say no to power? We run a political party, not an NGO. Every political party has its own aspirations. The CM has said that such culture is not there in Tamil Nadu.
Have you abandoned the demand or is it still on the table?
In politics, you do not abandon anything. These aspirations come from the ground and we need to put them forward as our demands.
What is your observation about Vijay’s party?
Every political party is formed due to aspirations. It is up to the people to decide whether it is acceptable. Elections will decide. What I hear is that they are getting traction among those below 40 years and youngsters in particular. That (TVK’s potential electoral impact) is our concern.
There are speculations that Congress has been in touch with Vijay’s party. Did Congress explore an alliance with TVK?
TVK has openly invited us and said they are ready to form an alliance with us. That means they have recognised our strength at the grassroots level.
So did Congress hold alliance talks with TVK?
Right now we are talking to the DMK leadership. They have just formed the alliance committee and we are talking to them.
You are not denying communications with Vijay?
In politics, you have to talk to everyone. Communication never stops. Even hardcore enemies communicate. Even AIADMK leaders, when we meet at functions, we say hi to each other.
Is Congress disappointed with DMK for delaying talks?
There is nothing called happiness or disappointment in politics. Once you are in politics, you must prepare for everything – even humiliation. Ours is a 140-year-old party. We have seen many ups and downs. We have patience.
Earlier you expressed disappointment over delay in talks?
We expected alliance talks to conclude earlier so we would have had around 75 days to identify constituencies, shortlist candidates, and begin campaigning. We do not want to be pushed to the corner at the last minute and forced to accept whatever is given. We have seen this happen in Maharashtra and Bihar. Our concern was to prepare early and fight elections well together.
You said Tamil Nadu’s political culture is changing. What do you mean?
The political syllabus of Tamil Nadu is changing. Those who can read it and adopt it will succeed.
What can Congress deliver to DMK if it seeks share in power?
Congress’ effective vote share ranges from 12% to 20%. We have formed around 22,000 village committees and are expanding further. We have more than 63,000 booth-level agents. Surveys show Rahul Gandhi enjoys very high support across Tamil Nadu. There is an emotional connection with the Gandhi family and the legacy of Kamaraj still remains strong.
Criticism from within the Congress and discordant voices – is it a strategy to pressurise DMK? Does it hurt the party’s image?
Our party respects democratic values and everyone’s views. Since we fought the last election with DMK, our state president (K Selvaperunthagai) will have good relations with the DMK leadership. Nobody should criticise the president for that.
Why should we pressurise DMK? Do you think DMK will feel pressurised by us? We may demand something, they may say yes or no. This is not a question of life and death.
When can we expect Congress to contest independently in Tamil Nadu?
Good days for Congress will come in Tamil Nadu. We have a strong cadre who survived without power for more than 58 years. For 234 constituencies, we received around 5,000 applications. That shows our strength.