Was your appointment as TNCC president a reward for facilitating the Congress–TVK alliance?I am a three-time MP. I have served as the party’s in-charge for Telangana and Goa and now oversee Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. I also serve as the Congress whip in Lok Sabha. I want to make the most of the opportunity to rebuild the organization and help it become the third-largest party.Congress’s demand to extend the freeze on delimitation beyond 2026 appears to contradict its earlier support for delimitation based on population ratio.Our position is clear. Once the Bill was introduced, we understood its implications and the larger design behind it, particularly after what happened in Assam. By then, the Congress’s national position was clear: the number of Lok Sabha seats must be frozen. We are demanding a freeze because we believe the ulterior motive of BJP and RSS is to deny minorities and members of SC and ST communities their rightful representation in Parliament.How do you interpret CM C Joseph Vijay’s change in stand on delimitation within a week — from demanding that the number of LS seats be frozen at 543 to saying that no state should suffer a reduction in its percentage of representation?There was some misunderstanding in the media. Law minister clarified the govt’s position and we respect that. We do not believe that the TVK has deviated from the resolution passed in the assembly.Rahul Gandhi described parties supporting Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise as ‘Ettappans’, a historical symbol of betrayal. DMK asks if Vijay is an Ettappan.AIADMK and PMK have announced their support for delimitation, and we call them ‘Ettappans’. Any other party that supports the bill will also be described in the same manner, because such a bill would have a drastic impact on the state. DMK has not supported the bill so far. Therefore, as of today, we are not calling DMK an ‘Ettappan’.Congress govt in Karnataka supports Mekedatu dam, while TNCC opposes it. Which position will prevail within the party?Inter-state water disputes are a perennial challenge for national parties. Ultimately, such disputes are usually resolved through the legal system. As the TNCC president, my responsibility is to stand fully by Tamil Nadu’s interests. Similarly, chief minister D K Shivakumar will represent Karnataka’s interests.At the alliance meeting on July 1, parties agreed to a Common Minimum Programme, establishing a coordination committee and deciding on a name. Why aren’t any of these finalized?The CM wanted to hold a meeting with the alliance partners during the first week of the assembly session, but many of us including Thirumavalavan and I were occupied with the Parliament session. We need to work out a mechanism to take the parties supporting the govt from outside into confidence.Is Congress backing Vijay because it believes he is the best political alternative or because the party no longer sees a future with DMK?It was never a question of abandoning DMK merely to align with Vijay. The people punished us, and we suffered collateral damage, leaving us with only five MLAs. Not supporting TVK could have allowed Amit Shah to impose President’s Rule. The choice was to stitch together an alliance with parties that had been rejected by the people or support a govt led by TVK. We chose the second option.DMK has 30 MPs. Can Congress safeguard the people’s interests without DMK’s support?That was demonstrated during the monsoon session. Despite DMK not being with us, Parliament was not allowed to function for 19 days. We are clear and have never changed our goalposts. Our fight is against RSS and BJP.Congress has been accused of undermining India bloc allies in assembly elections while seeking their support in Lok Sabha elections.India bloc is a loosely structured alliance. In some states, we have electoral arrangements, while in others we do not. Our common objective is to unite all forces against the authoritarian rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. Seat-sharing in assembly elections is a state-level matter, and demanding our rightful share is legitimate.VCK once mooted DMK-TVK unity under a broader anti-BJP platform.This is not going to happen. TVK has built a coalition and demonstrated generosity to share power with the constituents of the India bloc in Delhi. Let DMK continue on its course; we will move in this new direction.How do you assess the first 100 days of the TVK govt, its achievements and shortcomings?Vijay came to power with three important promises: to provide an honest govt, ensure safety of women, and address drug-related issues. He has taken the right steps on all three fronts, and we need to give him time. We believe he is seeking to stabilise the state’s finances and fulfil the poll promises.What is your plan to revive Congress in TN?Congress has a distinct political space in Tamil Nadu. The day we reconnect the TN Congress with the people, rather than being seen as a party operated from Delhi, we will reclaim that space. Congress was reduced to the fifth position in the state. I want to rebuild Congress and take it back to the third position over the next three years. Our participation in the govt has helped restore morale of the cadre. The organisational restructuring is under way, and we expect to have the new structure in place by the end of this month. We are rebuilding the party through new district and block committees and by bringing in new leadership at mandal level. We plan to create 7,500 mandals.Will you contest local body elections under TVK’s leadership?We will contest the local body elections together.
