CHENNAI: It was a snap waiting to happen. Even in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leader and former Minister GK Vasan was on tenterhooks, refusing to fight the elections, saying he would campaign instead for the party in Tamil Nadu. The Congress was almost wiped out in the state – totting up their worst ever performance with a meagre 4.3% vote share.
On Monday, GK Vasan called it quits. “I have heard the unanimous opinion of the cadre,” said Vasan at a press meet. “We will launch a new party, following in the footsteps of our great leader Kamaraj. Youngsters expect a new political culture in Tamil Nadu and we have a duty to fulfill it,” he said.
This move by Vasan splits the Tamil Nadu Congress virtually down the middle, as he takes with him the lion’s share of the party cadre – 3 sitting MLAs as well as a number of former MPs.
State Congress President EVKS Elangovan appealed to Vasan to change his mind. “Don’t become a prodigal son,” he pleaded. “Come back to the Congress. You have not announced the name of your party so there is still time. Please come back to Congress,” he said.
Other Congressmen were not so forgiving. “A small breakaway faction forming a political party can be ideologically neutral and fungible,” said Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram. “Very convenient to form ‘unholy’ alliances.”
Political hawks though are unimpressed with Vasan’s move. “This is like stealing from a teaspoon,” laughed G.C Shekhar, senior journalist and political observer. “Congress has a less than 5% vote share. How much of it will Vasan take away? He is likely to end up as another Vaiko, looking for alliances. We have to wait and see what happens,” he said.
Congress party workers say this split could now mean a rise in the fortunes of the Chidambaram father-son duo. “Although former minister Chidambaram has said he will not contest any more elections, he is very much active in politics,” said a senior Congress leader who spoke on condition of anonymity. “He is close to the Delhi leadership and he will ensure that his son Karti is now in the limelight. And Karti is ambitious too. He can shine but he has to work very hard,” he said.
Shekhar though disagrees. “Jayalalithaa can be imperious and arrogant and rule her party unilaterally because she has control over the party,” said Shekhar. “But this will not work in the Congress. One has to be approachable, friendly and suffer fools. That is beyond Chidambaram and Karti,” he added.
The consensus though is that GK Vasan’s split is almost certainly a fatal blow for the Congress in Tamil Nadu.