CHENNAI: A war of words broke out between Tamil Nadu Congress leaders on Wednesday over the party’s alliance with the ruling TVK, with former TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai insisting the ally should publicly accept Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate, while Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty sought to play down his remarks, prompting a fresh counter from Selvaperunthagai.
The episode began with Selvaperunthagai, speaking to reporters in Guindy after paying floral tributes to freedom fighter Ramasamy Padayatchiar on his 109th birth anniversary, saying the Congress should form an alliance only with parties that openly and honestly accept Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate.
“If Rahul Gandhi is the PM, alliance partners should accept that. If not, what is the point of being in this alliance? It is only honest to have an alliance with those who openly and sincerely accept Rahul as the prime minister,” said Selvaperunthagai, who was in office during his party’s alliance with the DMK.
Later in the day, MP Praveen Chakravarty, speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, responding to Selvaperunthagai’s comments, asked, “Who is he now? In the past he may have been whatever he was, but now that is not relevant.” He said the alliance had been strong before the government was formed and remains equally strong after the government came to power.
Chakravarty said the alliance would also work together in the upcoming bypolls. He said TVK is contesting the Tamil Nadu bye-election, while Congress is fielding a candidate in Puducherry bypoll.
Later in the day, responding to Chakravarty’s reference to the meeting with the chief minister, Selvaperunthagai took to social media, saying that a long and cordial conversation could not by itself constitute an assurance on the prime ministerial candidate. “Let the chief minister say it, or at least let any senior functionary of that party say that Rahul Gandhi is our Prime Ministerial candidate,” he said.
Selvaperunthagai also asked Chakravarty to raise issues like why remarks criticising PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah or the BJP were removed from the Assembly proceedings when they meet the next time.