In another show of internal strife within the Congress, the party’s Tamil Nadu leader K Mahendran on Sunday hit out at his colleague Karti Chidambaram, suggesting he became an MP only because of his father and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s influence.
The controversy sparked off after Karti Chidambaram criticised the Congress’ move of a major rejig in the state unit of the party. On Sunday, the Congress named 32 vice presidents, 57 general secretaries and 104 secretaries in the party’s Tamil Nadu state committee, according to The News Minute.
Reacting to this decision, Karti Chidambaram said that such big committees were unlikely to yield positive results. “These jumbo committees serve no purpose,” he tweeted. “32 VP, 57 GS, 104 Secretaries. None will have any authority which means no accountability.”
However, Mahendran, who has been appointed one of the general secretaries took exception to Karti Chidambaram’s stance and took to Twitter to express his displeasure.
Mahendran said that “hard working” members of the women, youth and Scheduled Caste wings of the party had made it to the state committee and that someone who became an MP because of his father will not be able to understand the matter.
Significantly, Karti Chidambaram has been one of the vocal critics of the running of affairs within the Congress. Following the party’s poor performance in the Bihar Assembly elections in November, he had said the Congress must “introspect, ideate, consult, act”. His father too lent his weight to the dissenters within the party, in a recent meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, NDTV reported.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!