Girish Chodankar, the Congress in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, suffered a minor fall on Sunday. Initial reports suggested he had fainted. However, when contacted, he told The New Indian Express that he was fine and clarified that there was no fracture, describing the incident as "only a slip".
The Congress party itself escaped a more serious fracture when it finalised the seat-sharing deal with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). A faction within the party (Rahul Gandhi among them) was said to be in favour of aligning with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), floated by actor-turned-politician Vijay. The lure—the latter's offer of a share in power to parties aligning with it. For a Congress party that has been out of power in the state since 1967, the temptation was understandable.
But after weeks of uncertainty and tough bargaining, when the deal between Congress and the DMK was finalised on March 4, the grand old party settled for 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. It was a significant climbdown.
The Congress had initially demanded at least 40 assembly seats from the DMK, a 20 percent share in local bodies, and one Rajya Sabha seat. Unsurprisingly, not everyone in the party was satisfied with the final arrangement. Questions also arose about whether Rahul Gandhi shared this dissatisfaction.
Famously, on March 1, while wishing MK Stalin on his birthday, Rahul did not refer to the Chief Minister as "my brother", a phrase he had used the previous year. It was an omission that occasioned comment.
Responding to reports of dissent within the party, Chodankar admitted, "Yes, it is bound to be there."
But there must be a sense of relief across the rank and file too as the deal had been stitched together after a period of uncertainty for his party.
At one stage, negotiations in Tamil Nadu had stalled. The Congress high command then sent senior leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to break the deadlock. During discussions, Stalin reportedly told Chidambaram that if the DMK failed to secure a clear majority, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might attempt to exploit the situation and seize power in the state.
Chidambaram conveyed Stalin's concerns to Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge and assured Sonia Gandhi that he would preserve the alliance while securing more than 30 seats for the party. However, Stalin remained firm, initially offering only 25 seats.
According to a report in Ananda Vikatan, after internal discussions within the Congress leadership, Kharge told Sonia Gandhi that securing a Rajya Sabha seat was the most crucial part. Without it, the party risked falling below 25 MPs in the Upper House and potentially losing its official Opposition status.
Kharge then spoke directly with Stalin, and the agreement was finalised at 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat.
The Congress demand for a 20% share in local bodies remains unresolved. Stalin reportedly told K Selvaperunthagai, the Tamil Nadu Congress chief, that the issue could be discussed later. Kharge urged party leaders to sign the agreement and conclude the negotiations.
Chidambaram, Selvaperunthagai, and Kharge played key roles in finalising the deal with the DMK.
Sonia had to step in
Reports suggest that Rahul Gandhi and leaders such as KC Venugopal were in favour of aligning with the TVK at one point and contesting 74 seats.
However, Stalin reportedly held direct talks with Sonia Gandhi and persuaded her to proceed with the agreement.
Kharge is said to have told Rahul Gandhi that the Congress could consider an alliance with the TVK in the future—once that party proves its electoral strength.
After the deal was done, Chidambaram too echoed Kharge in a media interview, noting: "Let them (TVK) first contest elections and win seats; only then can they talk about offering a share in power. You can't measure a cubit with an empty hand."
Meanwhile, A Gopanna, Chairman of the Media Department of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), said aspirants planning to contest the polls were pleased with the alliance with the DMK.
Now comes the naming of the 28 candidates, all hoping to enter the Assembly. In 2021, the Congress strike rate was 72 percent with the party winning 18 of the 25 seats they contested. If they manage to get anywhere near that winning percentage this time, even Rahul Gandhi will have reasons to smile.