CHENNAI: When G K Vasan broke away from the Congress and revived the Tamil Manila Congress in 2016, there was much hope as the splinter party was able to attract many from the Congress.
Vasan’s successful membership drive was hailed as one many parties would be envious of.
After the debacle of the People’s Welfare Alliance, of which the TMC was a part, in 2016, Vasan’s party has gone out of the limelight.
In a freewheeling chat with Express, Vasan talks about the current political scenario and his plans for the future.
Q: How do you see the spate of protests, of late, in Tamil Nadu?
I think there are various unsolved issues everywhere in the State. And due to the absence of tall leaders, people are openly raising questions over various issues. Out of compulsion, people are raising their voice to protect themselves.
Were you able to achieve the goals you mentioned when you broke away from the Congress?
We are reaching the target in a phased manner and any party cannot achieve its goals in a short span of time. It depends on the party’s strength and people’s mindset during the election. Due to the strong presence of the Dravidian parties, we could progress only slowly.
But many of the second-rung leaders from your party have switched over to the AIADMK. Is it a setback for you?
No. This phenomenon is common across the country. If any individual wants to switch over his loyalty due to his own personal benefits, we can’t stop him. Only selfish people, with no ideologies, would jump parties.
What is your opinion of the DMK’s mock Assembly?
It is one of the democratic rights. In democracy one can show their displeasure either inside the Assembly or outside the Assembly. But, the ruling party should convince the opposition party to take part in debates in the Assembly sessions.
What is your opinion about Rajinikanth’s statement on the anti-Sterlite protesters?
I think he just went by the information he had got from his circles. He has the right to comment based on information he gets. But our party’s position is very clear that police firing at the protesters is totally wrong. The cause is intelligence failure, lethargic attitude of the police and weakness of the government. Only the State is responsible for what happened.
What would be your party’s next political move?
We are a bigger party than the Congress and we have no hesitation in being part of an alliance where the Congress is also present. Anyway, the Congress can never even come close to leading an alliance in Tamil Nadu. We will take a right decision after consulting our cadre and examining the political climate.