Karti P Chidambaram, a member of the AICC and the son of P Chidambaram, discusses the party’s split in Tamil Nadu and criticises the way the national leadership has dealt with the state’s leaders. Former TNCC president Gnanadesikan resigned saying he was being ignored by the high command in taking decisions. You have been expressing a similar view. What exactly bothers you? The fact that the party in the state does not have enough freedom. When issues that matter to the state party unit should be dealt with and discussed by leaders themselves, it is high command that rules the state unit. Maybe the Congress in Kerala can be a model in this situation, where leaders are far more independent than in Tamil Nadu. It has been said that what contributed to the split was the AICC decision to remove pictures of K Kamaraj and G K Moopanar from membership cards. Do you agree with the decision to use pictures only of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi? Instead of pictures, I would suggest a standard design from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. How do you view reports about a possible alliance of Vasan’s new party with the BJP? I will not be surprised if he takes such a decision. I do not want to comment on that. How do you see the Congress progressing under new president E V K S Elangovan? I wish him all the best in running the party.
