Chennai, Mar 28 (PTI) Congress MP from Karur constituency, S Jothimani, has alleged a total lack of transparency in the party’s constituency selection process as part of DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu for the April 23 Assembly election, claiming the interests of the party have been “completely compromised”.
“There’s no transparency in the party’s constituency selection. Our view that seats should be chosen after detailed discussion and with transparency was rejected by those in charge,” Jothimani said in a strongly-worded social media post on March 27.
The Congress was allotted 28 seats in the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu.
The MP’s outburst comes at a time when major political players in the state, including the DMK and AIADMK, are finalising their strategies for the upcoming electoral battle, with newcomers like Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) also drawing significant attention.
Jothimani accused the state leadership of conducting the seat-sharing and selection process in a “highly secretive manner”, ignoring calls for detailed discussions and an open approach.
She expressed deep anguish over the treatment of grassroots workers. “It is painful to see the years of hard work by loyal Congress volunteers being sold off by those who haven’t contributed even a speck to the party’s growth in Tamil Nadu,” she stated.
Issuing a stern warning regarding the impending candidate selection, Jothimani remarked that if this “mercenary or sales-based approach” continues, “no one can save the Congress party in Tamil Nadu.” The MP indicated she would not remain a silent spectator to these developments and promised a more detailed statement once the candidate list is made public.
Elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, which has 234 seats, are to be held on April 23.
Meanwhile, speaking to PTI Videos, Congress leader K V Thangkabalu said: “Party leaders with grievances can approach appropriate forums”.
“The Congress Party is a democratic party, and it has a lot of avenues to address grievances. I appeal to Congressmen and women to go to the high command with your grievances. That is the only method by which we can solve these issues,” Thangkabalu added.
On the other hand, AICC Data Analytics Chairman Praveen Chakravarty posted on his ‘X’ account a two-panel cartoon strip. Although the cartoon was not accompanied by any comment, it appears to be a satirical take on the internal dynamics and seat-sharing negotiations of the Tamil Nadu Congress. The cartoon strip uses a “Wrong vs Right” format to comment on how the party should handle its political strategy.
While the wrong side depicts a chaotic scene of infighting — leaders are angry, shouting, and physically scuffling with each other. They are all grabbing at individual slices of the pizza (the constituencies/seats), pulling them in different directions. One man is even pulling another’s hair. The right side shows a harmonious scene.
The same group of people is now smiling and happy. Instead of fighting, everyone has a piece in their hand, and there is plenty more to go around.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan said what is being unfolded in Tamil Nadu was what Congress leaders did in Bihar as well.
“In the Bihar elections, Rahul Gandhi’s points person was accused of having sold off tickets and he was gheraoed by the party cadres asking for explanation. But Gandhi kept quiet and no action was taken against the individual,” Kesavan said in a statement on Saturday.
According to him, the Congress under Rahul Gandhi has been completely compromised, adding that this is the reason why the corrupt Congress is being rejected by the people state after state.
“The shocking statements and scandalous allegations made by a Congress MP from Tamil Nadu that the party leadership has been ‘sold off’, constitute a direct attack on the failed and flawed leadership of Rahul Gandhi. He needs to break his silence on the accusations made by his own party MP regarding the situation in Tamil Nadu,” Kesavan said. PTI JR JR KH
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