BJP Tries Very Hard, Doesn't Get Tamil Nadu: Karti Chidambaram To NDTV

The Congress adds a secular sheen to the DMK-led alliance, said Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, admitting that the party is not in any position to face elections alone in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is a junior ally in the DMK-led alliance that has been in power in the southern state since 2020. But what it brings to the table is a national fervour, said the Lok Sabha representative from Sivaganga.

Speaking at NDTV's Tamil Nadu Conclave, Chidambaram said that minorities feel safer when Congress is in the alliance. "The Congress adds a secular sheen to the alliance. The Congress is a multiplier in the alliance. Minorities feel safer when Congress is part of an alliance," stressed the Lok Sabha member.

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Asked about the relevance of the DMK-Congress alliance, he said that alliances matter in all elections. "I don't think alliances have been irrelevant in Tamil Nadu. Politics is personality driven—people will make a choice of who they want to be Chief Minister and which alliance they want to vote for," he added.

'BJP's Hindutva Is Sanskritised'

In Tamil Nadu, the BJP's leadership isn't as accepted as the Congress, Chidambaram stressed, stating that the BJP has been rejected time and again in the state. Therefore, the BJP's alliance with AIADMK is a back-door entry into the state, he added.

The politician also branded the BJP's Hindutva as "Sanskritised and vegetarian," which is why it is yet to get a grip in Tamil Nadu.

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"The BJP always tries very hard. They are an election machine. I am a liberal and they are quite regimented. I meant they are Ayatollah Hindutva and that doesn't gel well with me. As far as I am concerned, they don't get Tamil Nadu. The BJP's version of Hindutva is very upper caste, Sanskritised, and vegetarian. That's not the practice of the faith here. Here people practice animal sacrifice in a temple," he said.

Despite Tamil Nadu being a very religious and orthodox state, he underlined how the BJP has been socially adapted to the state. For instance, he said, "There is not a single person from Tamil Nadu who would step out without going to the pooja room and putting a little vibhuthi or kumkum. But he will still reject the BJP."

The BJP has no flexibility in their policy in any state, he further alleged, adding that there is flexibility only in their alliances.

'AIADMK Not Free-Thinking Party'

Chidambaram said he doesn't dismiss the AIADMK but doesn't consider it as a "free thinking independent party." "They have a sizeable base - more rural than urban. Their standing has become weaker, but they are still a large party," he added.

Vijay Still A Factor

Vijay is certainly a factor in the upcoming election, according to Chidambaram, refusing to dismiss the superstar entirely in his debut electoral plunge.

"Young people generally are disenchanted by traditional politics or traditional political structures. Anybody who comes in anew, there seems to be some enthusiasm. And he is a very popular movie star. I am not a fan of his movies, but he has got a big name, and there is definitely acceptance. But whether that can become votes, whether the votes can become seats, that's a different process. But to dismiss him completely, I will not," said the Lok Sabha MP.

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Chidambaram said that Vijay's party has no ideological clarity or policy proclamation. "There doesn't seem to be any kind of bench strength in his organization. He has got many weaknesses. But to say he has no support, I will not agree," he added.

'Shashi Tharoor An Asset To Congress'

On Shashi Tharoor, whose relationship with party leadership hasn't been entirely at ease of late, Chidambaram only had praises to share. He called the Kerala leader an asset to the party who tops the list of politicians the middle class looked up to. However, he wished that the party used him in a better way.

"Shashi Tharoor is seriously an asset to the party. When he came out to contest elections, I was one of his vocal supporters. There are very few politicians in India that the middle class looks up to. Tharoor tops that list. Especially the educated class. Very few can say that their political success has been due to their academic success. The Congress party should have used him better," he said.