BJP can be defeated by forging the right electoral alliances on a state-to-state basis and by focusing on real daily issues of the common people.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has constantly been in the news for various reasons. During an interview with a Tamil TV channel (Thanthi TV), he reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more popular than Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. While this saw him receive a notice from the Disciplinary Committee of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress according to media reports, which he denies, Chidambaram was also summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi for the third time on 12 January. In this exclusive chat with The Sunday Guardian, the MP from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, talks about this.
Q: Your recent comment about PM Modi’s popularity did not go down well with your party. Do you believe Narendra Modi is undefeatable?
A: My interview was in Tamil, given before Christmas in December of 2023 just after the Parliament session. Anyone who watched my interview in its entirety would know I said no such thing as you are suggesting. It was a classic case of lost in translation. There was no issue at all and it was just a media created story. I firmly believe that the BJP can be defeated by forging the right electoral alliances on a state-to-state basis and by focusing on real daily issues of the common people. In my opinion the election should only be about “are you better today than you were in 2014?” And the honest answer will be, from the common person, an emphatic no.
Q: You appeared before the ED for the third time recently. What is happening on that front?
A: Nothing. It’s just a fishing and roving enquiry.
Q: DMK, the Congress ally, has been plagued with corruption cases and IT raids in Tamil Nadu. Do you think this will impact the elections?
A: No. Tamil Nadu will vote for the I.N.D.I.A bloc emphatically. We will win all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.
Q. Your outspoken nature often lands you in controversies. Having said that, are you happy with the Congress party? Many leaders are quitting…
A: The Indian National Congress is the only party which will give me the space to be true to my individual self. Anyone leaving the party is a loss to the party.
Q: Who is the best Prime Minister candidate in the Congress today?
A: We should not focus on personalities. Instead, we must focus on the daily struggle issues of the common citizen.