Karti And Friends

The Congress in Tamil Nadu looks to benefit from a solid alliance, just like it did before in past polls

- G.C. Shekhar

KARTI Chidambaram jumps out of the SUV and walks towards the campaign jeep fitted with a hi-tech audio system. The spring in his steps can’t be missed as he climbs into the thick of his campaign speech without any trappings. “This election is for the Lok Sabha to elect a government in Delhi. And you remember what the Congress government under Manmohan Singh did for the poor and farmers. We introduced the 100day employment scheme (MNREGA). But now you neither get jobs nor money under that scheme. Now we will extend this scheme to 150 days. We gave education loans, but no bank is ready now to give those loans. Similarly, your self-help groups do not get small loans as in the past. If you want all these to resume, you must vote the hand symbol,” Karti reels off breathlessly at Idaikattur village, Sivaganga parliamentary constituency.

There is marked difference between the Karti 2014 and Karti 2019—the man waging his own battle five years ago, bravely defending his father’s territory. This time he is in better company in the form of half-a-dozen allies. He makes it a point to mention all their names, underlining that the DMK leads the front. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress needs to be buttressed by the DMK and smaller parties to remain relevant in the state’s electoral politics. Karti himself is a case in point as he could finish only fourth behind the AIADMK, DMK and the BJP-front in 2014. Even father P. Chidambaram could win seven times only when in alliance with the AIADMK the first three times and the DMK the next four. He lost when he contested alone in 1999.