'There is a problem in the way the Congress party is run'

‘I have no grievance against P Chidambaram also. No grievance against anyone.’

‘When I say the high command is responsible, I don't mean Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.’

‘I do not want to use the word coterie; I will only say that there is a problem in the way the party is run. This is not the case with Tamil Nadu alone; it is happening all over India.’

B S Gnanadesikan, who resigned as Tamil Nadu state Congress chief, tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com what is wrong with the party in the state.

Ever since the Congress lost the Lok Sabha elections and recently the assembly elections miserably, voices of dissent have started coming out. The latest is that of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B S Gnanadesikan, who resigned from the post over differences with the All India Congress Committee.

In an interview with Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com, Gnanadesikan reiterates that he is a "true servant of Sonia Gandhi".

Had you been feeling unhappy with the happenings in the Congress for quite some time, or was it a sudden decision to resign from the post of TNCC president?

I have not been comfortable with the happenings in the party for the last two-three months for various reasons. As a disciplined party worker, I did not discuss the reasons with the media at that time. But now I am compelled to reveal a few reasons.

One, I had no authority to give designations to the people who work for the party though I am the state party president.

You mean you had no power to do so?

I didn't mind if I had no power as I am not power-hungry. Even when I took certain names to Delhi for approval, they did not give me the approval. But there were people who were given the designation and supposed to work for the party, but who never do that. This is a peculiar situation. Those who are working do not have any designation and those who have designation, do not work. I did tell the AICC about this many times but they were not ready to rectify it.

Who is responsible for this state of affairs, the high command?

When I say the high command is responsible, I don't mean Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.

Then, who else?

There are people in Delhi but I do not want to name them. Not once or twice but several such incidents happened in the last two-three months. This is the sad state of affairs. I do not know whether they treat only our state like this.

It was reported that you were unhappy with the high command and P Chidambaram...

P Chidambaram was good with me till December 7 when the list of the office-bearers was announced. I do not know what happened after that. Those people who got posts in his quota, stopped coming to Satyamurthi Bhavan (the party office in Chennai) and attending any meetings of the party. They never responded to my questions. I do not know under whose instructions they were acting like that. Yet no action was taken against them by the party high command.

The structure of the AICC is such that we do not have the authority to nominate the general secretaries or secretary. I have no complaints about that as I became the president knowing very well how the party structure was. My grievance is, they must understand that when the person who is running the party has certain ideas and some difficulties in implementing the ideas, they should be ready to rectify the mistakes that is there on their side.

Did you meet the party president Sonia Gandhi and tell her your grievances?

I met her several times but I never told her all this.

Why didn't you?

I didn't want to complain about anyone. That is my nature. Even today, after resigning from the post of state party president, I have not written any complaint letter. 

Did the high command ask you why you wanted to resign and what your grievance was?

No, nobody asked me. I gave a letter saying I didn’t want to be a hindrance in reconstituting the PCC. I said I was giving madam (Sonia) the liberty to reconstitute the state party structure and therefore I was resigning.

I came to know that for the last three months, they were asking around who would be best suited to take over my post. They were doing it behind my back. I have no objection in anyone replacing me because I know very well that the post of state party president was not a permanent one. Though I was nominated for five years, I could be removed any time.

Similarly, I cannot continue as the party president for seven years. But the way I was treated, the way they went around asking everyone who could replace me, was demeaning. They should understand that I also have self-respect.

When I was serving as the party president, this news was leaked to the press and they started asking me why I was being replaced. Jokingly I said, even the typist in my office refused to take my orders as he thought I would be thrown out any day.

How could I work in such an environment?

Is it because the high command is surrounded by a coterie that they do not understand the ground realities of each state?

I do not want to use the word coterie; I will only say that there is a problem in the way the party is run. This is not the case with Tamil Nadu alone; it is happening all over India.

Look at the way they dealt with the Andhra situation. They lost Jaganmohan Reddy and Andhra. The way in which they treated Telangana also was wrong. If you were so keen on Telangana, you should have bargained with K Chandrasekhar Rao who was ready to join the Congress. The party should have asked him to join the Congress and only then it should have given the state. They didn't do that.

They gave a Rajya Sabha seat to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam but without taking any commitment from the DMK that it would be with the party in the Lok Sabha elections. They didn’t extract any such commitment.

So, the way in which the party is run is not good. It is injurious to the party.

Who is responsible, Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi?

I will say again, when I say the high command is responsible, you should exclude Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Why do you exclude them?

That is because the party is run by the secretary and general secretary in charge. Even another general secretary cannot interfere in the affairs of a state. So, whatever decision the general secretary takes, whatever feedback he gives, becomes the final word.

Whenever the Congress wins, the credit goes to the Gandhi family but when it loses, it is not because of them and they are shielded. Why is it so?

TheGandhi family is the unifying factor of India.

Of India? You mean, the Congress party?

Of India. The unity of India is only because of the Gandhi family, starting from Pandit Nehru to Rahul Gandhi. You just cannot think otherwise. The charisma they have and the respect they command is responsible for a united India. The united Congress also is because of the Gandhi family.

With both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi at the helm of affairs and both of them campaigning everywhere, the Congress is losing state after state. What do you have to say on this?

Those two persons alone cannot bring in victory for the party. Also, they cannot be held responsible for the defeat. Because of Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Karnataka we won the state but we lost Gujarat, but you people only talk about the states we lost and not the states we won. You must give credit to Rahul Gandhi for the states we have won.

Winning and losing depends upon the state party structure and the political situation there.

You wanted the Congress to go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections. With the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam facing corruption charges, do you feel it is the right time for the Congress to revive itself to exploit the situation so that it can be a strong force once again in Tamil Nadu?

I wish it happens.

What should be done to make it happen?

They should understand the structure and ground realities of each state and the political situation. What you apply in Kashmir will not work in Tamil Nadu. The yardstick for Andhra cannot be applied for Kerala. This they should understand.

You mean more power should be given to the state party chiefs?

Instead of saying more power, the views of PCC chief must be respected. Rahul Gandhi’s view also was this but it was not implemented.

After the Congress lost in the Lok Sabha elections, so many leaders are coming out against the high command...

I am not echoing what others said. I have not said a single word against the Congress party or the leadership and I will not do so also.

So, your grievance is only against Chidambaram?

No, I have no grievance against Chidambaram also. No grievance against anyone.

Reports say that you were unhappy when they asked you to stop distributing the membership cards with the photos of Kamaraj and Moopanar.

It was the secretary, Dr Chinna Reddy, who told me not to distribute those cards. I was shocked because the card was released by the general secretary in the party headquarters. When I found out that they didn't want the cards with those pictures, I said I would not agree. 

You called Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to unveil the statue of Kamaraj. Why?

Kamaraj was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and a great leader. I wanted someone of his stature to unveil the statue, and Chandy fitted the bill. That was my idea.

Is it true that the TMC will be revived?

I cannot comment on that now.

You said you were not a thick-skinned politician...

Yes, I am not a thick-skinned politician to take on any insult; I am a professional.

Photograph of Gnanadesikan: Sreeram Selvaraj