Tamil Nadu Congress needs a Kejriwal, says Karti Chidambaram after AAP sweep in Delhi

Chennai, Feb 12: After Arvind Kejriwal's historic win in Delhi Assembly elections, everyone wished him, but Karti, son of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram gave a statement which might irk some.

After AAP's spectacular win, Karti, in a veiled reference to Elangovan had tweeted and said, "There were many lessons to learn for the Congress, particularly for us in the TNCC. Need a face and an agenda. Will we?"

The AICC member said that in the coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in 2016, he would love to do a Kejriwal in the state.

"Only a Tamil version of Arvind Kejriwal who can take on AIADMK and DMK day after day can succeed in Tamil Nadu. We need a Kejriwal type of leader with courage, conviction and credibility who will not be cowed down by strong arm and intimidatory tactics," Karti told TOI.

In a resumption of war of words, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president E V K S Elangovan said Karti Chidambaram was free to join AAP "if he was admitted" in that party.

Reacting to Karti's statement, Elangovan said rather than looking for a leader like Kejriwal in Congress or other parties, it will be good if Karti joined the AAP and if that party admitted him.

"Karti has said that Congress should groom a leader like Kejriwal. Why should he search for such a leader in Congress or other parties?"

Elangovan asked and added that it will be good if he joined the party helmed by Kejriwal. In his tweet, Karti had said "lessons from #AAPSweep, no one is invincible, state politics needs a credible leader n an agenda. People want leadership at their doorstep."

In another tweet, he had said, "Congrats #AAP on a fabulous win. Many lessons to learn for the Congress particularly for us in the #TNCC. Need a face n an agenda. Will we?"

An obviously piqued Elangovan, who last month slapped a show cause notice on Karti for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meet of his supporters "G-67" told reporters that though he considered last month's episode as a "story that had ended, it reared its head often".

Elangovan and Karti are at loggerheads after the G-67 meeting in which Karti had spoken about "what needs to be done for Congress to turn around".

Replying to the show cause notice, Karti had questioned Elangovan's authority to issue it and said it was a private meeting of his supporters where nothing was spoken against the party. Also, since he was an AICC member only the Central leadership could initiate action, he had said.

The bickering escalated after Jayanthi Natarajan quit the party, and Elangovan, without naming P Chidambaram, said, it will be good "if a leader and his heir quits the party."

He was reportedly censured for his remarks by the party high command.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)