Karti Chidambaram admits Vasan's exit has hit Congress

Former union minister P Chidambaram's son Karti on Wednesday candidly admitted that Tamil Nadu strongman G. K. Vasan's departure from the party is a blow for the Congress.

"I wished that everybody had remained united in the Congress; the Congress is not in a very strong position in Tamil Nadu at the moment. We have not done well in the last elections; our vote share has been greatly diminished," Karti told ANI here.

He hoped that all should have remained united at this hour.

"So, this is the time for all of us to have been united. We should have faced the crisis together. I think if we had all been together, I think we would have been in a better position to handle the situation. I believe that if one worker leaves the party, it diminishes the party in some way," he said.

"But at the same time one must also think through the reasons as to why Mr. Vasan has broken away, if you start a small sub regional party, you become ideologically neutral, if you are in the national party; your alliance options are limited," Karti said.

"So, I somehow have a sneaking suspension that one of the reasons he has broken away while he might have some grouses against the functioning of how the Congress functions. I think one of the main reasons is that he probably is contemplating an alliance with the BJP down the line," he added.

He recalled that Vasan's step as a reminiscent of Rangarajan Kumaramangalam who deserted the Congress along with Arjun Singh and N D Tiwari floating the Congress (Tiwari) in 1996, only to join the BJP later on.

"I am only reminded of Mr.Rangarajan Kumaramangalam who came from an illustrious Congress family, who was youth Congress president of India, who was a member of parliament and minister, who first went to the Tiwari Congress and eventually joined the BJP," Karti said.

"So, perhaps Mr. Vasan as a first step towards having an alliance with the BJP has decided to form his own small sub-regional party. Few Congress workers who have gone with him must think about this, because going to the BJP would be completely against the ethos for an average Congress worker," he added.

Vasan earlier on Monday formally quit the Congress party, saying he wanted to give the state a political alternative. According to reports, Vasan has hinted at starting a new party. The name of his new party will be decided in a public meeting in Trichy in the upcoming days.

B.S. Gnanadesikan, a loyalist of Vasan, had earlier tendered his resignation as the Tamil Nadu Congress chief. He had accused the Congress leadership in Delhi of failing to consult the state branch on important issues.