Amid speculation about differences between the DMK and the Congress in Tamil Nadu over power share and seat-sharing arrangements, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have asked party leaders in the state to maintain discipline.
The directive followed a meeting between Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) leaders and the Congress top leadership at Indira Bhavan, the Indian National Congress headquarters in Delhi on Saturday.
At the meeting, Kharge and Rahul were entrusted with sole discretion over alliance negotiations. Tamil Nadu leaders, including TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, senior leader P Chidambaram, Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore, Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram, Karur MP Jothimani, V Vasanth and Praveen Chakravarty, attended the meeting along with national leaders such as Kharge, Rahul and All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal.
The meeting came amid speculation over the strength of the Congress’s alliance with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Seat-sharing and demand for power share emerged as a key point of concern, along with reports of possible political realignments involving actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Venugopal said, “Leaders have been directed to avoid speculation and speak in one voice in line with party decisions.”
According to a report by The New Indian Express, the leadership reprimanded Praveen Chakravarty over his criticism of the DMK, in which he cited claims that Tamil Nadu’s public debt was higher than that of Uttar Pradesh.
The meeting lasted for four hours. Addressing the media afterwards, Venugopal said the leadership held extensive discussions, including one-on-one meetings with 41 TNCC leaders.
“The meeting focused on strengthening the party and its future strategy in Tamil Nadu. The meeting has unanimously entrusted the Congress president and the Leader of the Opposition with taking decisions. With regard to election strategy-related matters, the party high command will take decisions in due course, keeping in mind the larger interests of party ideology and the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Venugopal added that the party high command had issued clear instructions to all leaders to maintain discipline and refrain from making public statements – including on social media – on matters related to election strategy.
The meeting also included discussions on political strategy in Puducherry.
Tamil Nadu is expected to go to the polls in March this year.