CHENNAI/MADURAI: As the party high command remained curiously silent about criticisms, outbursts, and taunts from a section of Congress leaders targeting the DMK seeking a share in power, the usual suspects, Praveen Chakravarthy and Manickam Tagore, continued their attack on the alliance leader in Tamil Nadu.
Believing that the Rs 5,000 cash scheme alone can ensure electoral victory is a misconception– Praveen Chakravarthy, chairman, All India Professionals' Congress
Chakravarthy, the chairman of the All India Professionals' Congress, said on Sunday that the Rs 5,000 cash transfer to women beneficiaries, which the DMK leaders celebrated as a political masterstroke, does not guarantee electoral victory.
Elsewhere in Madurai, Tagore, the party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha, said the Congress expected to be treated with respect within the alliance led by the Dravidian major and warned that the party members were humans, not robots, to keep quiet when the DMK leaders spoke ill of the party. Some functionaries who attended the meeting he chaired even said they were not seeking a share in the “loot”, words used by TVK leader Vijay in a recent public meeting, and mooted an alliance with the actor’s party.
Responding to the claims by DMK leaders that Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin launched a political masterstroke by depositing Rs 5,000 to women beneficiaries – Rs 3,000 as three months’ advance payment of Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme and a Rs 2,000 special summer assistance – Chakravarthy took to social media and said, "Believing that the Rs 5,000 cash scheme alone can ensure electoral victory is a misconception."
Though he termed the scheme a commendable welfare initiative, he pointed out that in the past three years, only four of nine major states that announced similar pre-poll direct cash schemes returned to power, while five governments were voted out.
He also shared a data sheet listing those nine states and their respective election outcomes, triggering fresh political debate here about the cohesion within the ruling alliance.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Madurai South District Congress Committee, Tagore expressed regret over what he described as the DMK high command's silence despite TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai flagging DMK MLA G Thalapathi and Minister S Rajakannappan's remarks against Congress on the power-sharing issue.
"Despite the TNCC president taking it up, the DMK did not take any action against them. It has been more than 20 days now. Our demand is that the district secretary (Thalapathi) and DMK minister (Rajakannappan) should refrain from speaking ill of the Congress...our party supporters are humans, not robots to keep quiet. They will also speak out. What we seek is respect when we are in the alliance," he said.
"The Congress does not forget the help extended by the DMK in the past...we may have fewer supporters, but without our support you (DMK) may not be in power today… Just as we treat you with respect, we expect you to reciprocate that," he added.Our party supporters are humans, not robots to keep quiet. They will also speak out. What we seek is respect when we are in the alliance – Manickam Tagore, Chief Whip (LS) of Congress
Our party supporters are humans, not robots to keep quiet. They will also speak out. What we seek is respect when we are in the alliance.– Manickam Tagore, Chief Whip (LS) of Congress
Addressing the party meeting, Tagore said he would not contest in the Lok Sabha polls from Virudhunagar. The party’s aim was to win the Madurai North constituency, currently represented by Thalapathi, in the upcoming Assembly polls, he said. "I have told Kharge that you should somehow get the seat for the Congress. We should win in this constituency," he said.
While adopting a resolution seeking a share in power and a 30 per cent share in local body seats at the executive committee meeting held in Tirupparankundram, functionaries said the party was not seeking a share in “loot” from the ruling party, but a role in governance to serve the people.
“We are not asking for a share in loot. We are seeking a share in governance to serve the people. If there is no power-sharing, the party should not continue in the alliance,” they said, adding that the party could consider aligning with Vijay’s party.
The meeting adopted seven resolutions, including a demand for the allocation of a higher number of Assembly constituencies and seek for a 30 per cent share in local body positions, and to place these demands before All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The resolutions noted that the number of seats allotted to alliance partners has been reducing and urged the party leadership to secure the constituencies it seeks.