Karti Chidambaram: Congress Wins In Tamil Nadu Only Due To Electoral Alliance, But It Adds Value By Bringing ‘Secular Sheen’

Karti Chidambaram, the Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga, as well as the son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, is known to speak his mind.

He does not shy away from asking questions, even if it makes things difficult for his party’s alliance partner in the state, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Swarajya reached out to Karti Chidambaram to hear his take on the state’s current political scenario. Here's what he had to say:

Two months after the election, how do you feel about becoming a Lok Sabha MP for the second time? Before the announcement of your candidature, there were reports stating that you had faced opposition from some groups within the Congress party.

I am grateful to the voters of Sivaganga for reposing faith in me and re-electing me. My victory is due to the strength of the INDIA alliance led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

There are one or two persons who habitually oppose me within the party. They don’t matter. It’s much ado about nothing. The rank and file of the party in my constituency have always been with me. 

Please tell us about your donation of a 20.5-foot-long machete to a temple as a thanksgiving for your victory from the Sivaganga constituency. How did that happen? 

I am very religious. Ritualistic too. I prayed at the Maranadu Karuppar temple and promised to donate a machete, of which one feet would be for every 10,000 vote lead. So for a lead of 205,664 votes I offered a 20.5 feet machete as my thanksgiving.

While you were able to retain the seat, your vote share reduced from around 52 per cent in 2019 to around 40 per cent in 2024. What would you put it down to? 

It was a four cornered election. So votes got split. That’s why our total votes went down, but our margin was still handsome.

You seem to have a keen interest in urban governance. At a time when there is a lot of talk about metros for smaller cities, you have taken a contrarian stand and said Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) does not need a metro. What makes you think so? 

I believe that no political party talks about urban governance. The middle class are the most neglected section of society. 

They are the backbone of our society, but they get the least attention. Their issues are ignored. I have decided to study those issues and consistently highlight them.

For a metro system to work you need a certain population size. Trichy doesn’t need a metro. There are other ways to improve it. In fact I have spoken about that too. The cost of a metro in comparison to the benefits it will probably give to a city like Trichy is not worth it. I have pointed this out via many articles and studies. We need wider consultations. 

You’ve also asked for a white paper on the restoration of the river Cooum, which flows through Chennai city. What prompted you to ask for it? It also came as a surprise to many, as the DMK-led alliance is seen as one in which allies are playing a passive role.

Since I was in school I have been hearing about efforts to clean the Cooum. There is no visible improvement. And the Mayor stated in the Council that they have spent Rs 529 crore out of the Rs 750 crore allotted. As a responsible public representative I think it’s my duty to seek the details. 

My letter to the Mayor is very detailed about the whole exercise historically supposedly taken to clean the Cooum and other rivers in Chennai. 

Just because we have an electoral alliance doesn’t mean we should abdicate our public duties. 

You are seen as one of the Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu who does not mind taking a stand different from the DMK. There have been a couple of such cases recently. While one of them was regarding YouTuber and political commentator Savukku Shankar’s second detention under the Goondas Act, the other was your reaction to Thamizhachi Thangapandian (DMK MP from South Chennai) saying that she would like to dine with Prabhakaran.

How has that affected your relationship with the DMK and within the Congress?

I always speak my mind. I think, reflect and then speak. 

However distasteful Savvuku’s comments are, the Goondas Act is not applicable. 

We, the Indian National Congress (INC), cannot accept the glorification of the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi. 

I know I ruffle some feathers. But I am true to my conscience. People appreciate my candidness. 

There is a perception that Congress wins seats only because it is in an alliance with the DMK. What do you think of this? 

Yes, we win only due to electoral alliance. But we also add value to an alliance. We bring the secular sheen to the alliance. 

The president of the Congress’ state unit, K Selvaperunthagai, has made some remarks which suggested that at least a section within the party is unhappy with the idea of being dependent on the DMK. This was seen as if the Congress wants to go it alone in the state. What is your take? Can the party go alone or change its alliance partner to, say, the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)?

While the DMK-INC is a winning alliance, it’s not equitable in sharing authority at all levels. We are not in a position to go it alone. 

Alliance decisions are taken by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). We are in alliance with the DMK. 

Do you have plans to enter state politics sometime in the future, or will national politics be your preferred arena?

I prefer to be in state politics. 

What is your take on the 2026 election in Tamil Nadu? How are things going to change with the entry of actor Vijay? Do you see a re-alignment in alliances? Or, say, Vijay taking away some of the Christian vote, which has been with the DMK and the Congress?

Vijay hasn’t articulated his position on anything. So I don’t know where he stands, what he supports or opposes.

He will get his fans’ vote. Nothing significant to make an impact.