10 months ago
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Senior Congress leader Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, has been issued a showcause notice by the party over his alleged comments on Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi is "more popular than Rahul Gandhi," Karti Chidambaram had apparently said in an interview with Thanthi TV. In the same interview, he had also expressed faith in Electronic Voting Machines -- an issue over which the Congress is in a tussle with the Election Commission.
The Congress has been actively opposing the use of EVMs, citing concerns about their reliability. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh has recently written to the Election Commission again, flagging the issue.
Karti Chidambaram's divergence from the party's narrative seems to have contributed to the internal scrutiny.
The notice issued by former MLA K R Ramasamy as part of the disciplinary committee seeks his response in 10 days.
Sources close to Karti Chidambaram have asserted that only the All India Congress Committee holds the authority to issue a notice to a Member of Parliament. However, the Tamil Nadu Congress has taken the unprecedented step, leading to speculation about the underlying motives.
Insiders suggest that the showcause notice might be strategically aimed at thwarting Karti Chidambaram's potential elevation as the Tamil Nadu Congress Chief.
The move indicates underlying tensions and internal power dynamics within the party, adding a layer of complexity to the political landscape in the state ahead of the general elections due later this year.
English (US) ·