Another “Self-Goal” by Congress, Its Leader in Tamil Nadu Attack Ally Government, BJP Pounce on DMK

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Dec 29: There is no end to the Congress committing self-goals providing leverage to the BJP to attack the Grand Old Party or its allies in the states.

After the senior Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh praised the BJP and the RSS organisations for enabling an “ordinary grassroots” level worker to become the prime minister (meaning Narendra Modi) and the party MP from Kerala Shashi Tharoor supporting his contentions for organisational changes in the party, a Congress functionary in Tamil Nadu has indirectly attacked its ally DMK, the ruling party in the state.

The remark of Praveen Chakravarthy, the chief of a Congress body representing working professionals in Tamil Nadu, unfavourably comparing the state’s debt levels with the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh has put his party in a swoop just months before the state heading for the Assembly elections and the Congress having already announced its decision to continue its alliance with the ruling DMK.

Mr Chakravarthy in a post on Monday said, “Tamil Nadu has the highest outstanding debt among all states”. He then called its debt levels “alarming” and pointed to high interest payments – third across India – and a high debt-to-GDP ratio. Mr Chakravarthy’s post was in response to a comment by DMK MP Kanimozhi praising her party for having ‘transformed’ Tamil Nadu into an advanced (and) developed state.

Praveen Chakravarty took over as chairperson of the All India Professionals’ Congress from Shashi Tharoor on 15 November 2023. He is the Chairman of the Data Analytics department appointed by Rahul Gandhi.

Predictably, Chakravarthy’s comment has drawn sharp responses from the Tamil party, with the state’s Industries Minister, Dr TRB Rajaa, leading the charge. Dr Rajaa was dismissive of the apparent slap-down; “… please avoid engaging with anyone with private agendas. We have a larger war to fight with those trying to curtail the growth of Tamil Nadu. Beware of unwanted distractions,” he said on X, ending with internet slang “IYKYK.”

And ex-Rajya Sabha MP MM Abdulla accused Chakravarthy of fear-mongering and pointed out the state’s borrowings were for capital investment and asset creation. He also pointed out the Tamil Nadu economy had grown by 39 per cent over the past five years expanded by Rs 17.3 lakh crore.

The Congress rushed to its ally’s defence. Party MP Jothimani called it ‘unfair’ to compare the two states and highlighted Tamil Nadu’s achievements in education, healthcare, industrial growth, and social justice.

Unsurprisingly the BJP has pounced, gleefully, on Chakravarthy’s remark.

Former state unit chief K Annamalai accused the DMK of distorting data to claim an ‘advanced economy’ and stressed the doubling of debt under the rival party’s government. And party spokesperson CR Kesavan mocked the Congress for a “self-goal”.

“The Congress does a shocking self-goal to expose the disastrous failure model DMK government. Does Rahul Gandhi concur with this view… d the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and his deputy agree with this damning view of their ally… disastrous DMK government is similar to a directionless car…”

The timing of Mr Chakravarthy’s attack on the DMK government was equally dismal. It comes within days of Aadhav Arjuna of the actor-turned- politician Vijay’s TVK party, which has declared the DMK its ‘political enemy’ and vowed to bring down Chief Minister MK Stalin’s government – hinted at a possible deal with the Congress, leading to talk about shifting political equations in the state.

Arjuna’s remark followed the Congress reportedly demanding as many as 76 of the state’s 234 seats in next year’s election. The Congress also wanted a share of ministerial power in the event of re-election. In the 2021 election the party contested 25 seats and won 18 – an impressive 72 per cent strike rate – but its fortunes have nosedived in elections since, capped by November’s Bihar rout.

The Congress’ argument is that the DMK cannot win a second consecutive term without its help, particularly since its votes are crucial in pockets where the DMK’s presence is relatively poor. The Congress-DMK relationship remains amiable, so far, though that could change, quickly, if seat-share talks go badly or if the row over Chakravarthy’s comment spirals, which it likely will with the BJP, and its state ally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), taking aim.

Meanwhile, on the Digvijaya Singh and Shashi Tharoor’s attack on the party leadership hinting at organisational changes, the Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy joined the row making a subtle but clear rebuttal on X – and without naming any leader praised the former party president Sonia Gandhi for her role in the selection of PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Ministers of India in 1991, 2004, and 2014.

Reddy’s message to critics, internal and external, was clear – the Congress also rewards merit, regardless of background, in efforts to ‘build democratic institutions to unite a diverse India’. “When one reflects on the leadership of Sonia Gandhi we find service, commitment, ethics, and values…” Reddy said, “Under Sonia Gandhi leadership, it became possible for PV Narasimha Rao garu, who started his public career from a remote village in Telangana, to become PM.”

“Sonia Gandhi also made an economist like Dr Manmohan Singh Prime Minister.” “From leading India’s freedom struggle to framing the Constitution, from building democratic institutions to uniting a diverse nation, the Indian National Congress has shaped every defining chapter of modern India,” the Telangana Chief Minister declared. On Saturday senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh triggered a second row in as many weeks.

He wrote to Rahul Gandhi over the need for reforms within the party. Sharing a black and white photo of PM Modi from the 1990, he praised the BJP and RSS, “I found this picture… it is very impressive… the way grassroots workers of RSS and Jan Sangh (as the BJP was called earlier) sit on the floor at the feet of leaders and become Chief Minister and (then) PM…”

The Congress, meanwhile, came out swinging. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera was more dismissive, saying, “Godse’s supporters (i.e., Nathu Ram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi) cannot be Gandhi’s supporters.” Gandhi and Singh came face-to-face a few hours before this drama played out – at a Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi – but the two seemed unconcerned by the furore.

Sources said Gandhi teased Singh, “Kal aapne badmashi kar di (You were up to mischief yesterday)”, which prompted laughter from those standing around, including Sonia Gandhi. But the saffron party – which has repeatedly attack the Gandhi family over ‘dynastic politics’, even as its rivals point to similar in-house instances – pounced. Party spokesperson CR Kesavan targeted Rahul Gandhi and declared the Congress’ ‘autocratic’ leadership had been exposed.

Shashi Tharoor – whose relationship with the Congress seems to be on thin ice, after multiple comments praising Prime Minister Modi and the BJP – was asked about Singh’s remark, but would only say, “The organisation must be strengthened… there is no doubt about it.” Sources, however, also said another reason behind Singh’s sharp remarks could be that his Rajya Sabha term ends early next year and a third appears unlikely, with others ahead of him in the queue.