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Tamil Nadu
By V. Jayanth
According to Congress leaders here, Mr. Chidambaram's strategy appears no different from what the late G.K. Moopanar adopted in the post 1998-99 phase of national politics — working together with the Congress without merging his Tamil Maanila Congress with it. Just as Moopanar broke away from the Congress protesting against its aligning with the AIADMK in 1996, Mr. Chidambaram left the TMC ahead of the 2001 elections, as the party entered into seat adjustments (or alliance) with the AIADMK. Sources in the CJP explain that Mr. Chidambaram has always maintained "cordial relations" with the Congress and consistently advocated a third front, led by that party, to provide Tamil Nadu with an alternative to the two Dravidian parties, which have ruled the State since 1967.
`Bid to keep AIADMK, DMK away'
With the parliamentary elections due in 2004, they say, Mr. Chidambaram wants to ensure that the Congress does not enter into a last-minute understanding with either the AIADMK or the DMK just to secure a dozen seats in the Lok Sabha. Instead, he would like the Congress to lead a third front, which could include the Left and smaller parties. The CJP founder clarified that his meeting with the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, which sparked rumours of a possible CJP-Congress merger, took place in his capacity as a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and that merger was not discussed, though the political situation in the State did figure. The CJP functionaries consider Mr. Chidambaram "ideally placed" to cement a third front and work on its common programme as well as approach. "While keeping the regional aspirations in mind, he is best placed to deal with national issues for the next parliamentary elections, in which 40 seats will be at stake in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry", says a functionary. But sources in the Congress say the TMC and the CJP cannot be equated — the latter was a breakaway unit of the TMC. "Mr. Chidambaram will be an asset, but the CJP will not have the same bargaining power the TMC had. The former Finance Minister may not think of a merger now, but he must look at the long-term, not just the 2004 elections," argues a former Congress MP. The CJP counters this argument. "Mr. Chidambaram knows enough about the Congress to take the right decision. We do not want to be just another faction in the party. By retaining our identity and bringing about better coordination, we may be able to achieve better results", says a functionary.
`Cadre contacts'
Responding to the TNCC chief, S. Balakrishnan's remarks on his `cadre contact', Mr. Chidambaram said, in his statement from the U.S., the Congress leader was welcome to any of the CJP meetings scheduled for June and address "some real cadres". Without wanting to take the "exchanges" any further, a TNCC office-bearer says, "This is the time for consolidation. We want to build up the party and work for restoration of Kamaraj rule in the State". On that, there appears a consensus, for now. So the Congress will accept the `spirit of cooperation and coordination'.
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