In an interview with indian categoricalChakravarti, who can also be the pinnacle of information evaluation at AICC, talks in regards to the agitation, the aspirations of state Congress employees, the occasion’s relationship with DMK and his “shock” assembly with TVK chief Vijay. excerpt:
* Your current publish on Tamil Nadu’s excessive debt has sparked controversy. What led you to make such feedback, particularly proper earlier than an election?
Was there something really incorrect with what I mentioned? I wish to make 4 factors. All these are taken from the RBI’s state finance report. I’ve all the time commented on the monetary state of affairs of a variety of states, together with Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra. I’ve written an article. Due to this fact, when the debt problem of Tamil Nadu got here up, the rising debt pattern introduced by the RBI was very noticeable. It has nothing to do with elections. We talked about Bihar’s debt throughout elections. We talked about different states’ money owed throughout non-election intervals. So elections don’t have anything to do with this.
* You’ve beforehand mentioned that you simply oppose a return to the previous pension system, whereas your occasion has promised to take action in numerous state elections. However are your observations on Tamil Nadu’s debt inviting criticism from allies?
you might be completely proper. It is a testomony to the liberal values of the Congress Get together and the tradition that Rahul Gandhi’s management fosters throughout the Congress. Not solely myself, however Mr. Chidambaram and others have additionally raised considerations in regards to the previous pension system and the reckless spending on welfare.
Our occasion management has by no means mentioned something. If we are saying one thing that’s unfaithful, then sure, they’ll dispute it. However in any other case our occasion management has been very liberal and tolerant in offering that freedom. And that’s the liberal DNA of Congress.
In reality, it’s fascinating and amusing to see such a response from a purported Indian alliance authorities. It’s really fairly laughable that a few of my allies in Tamil Nadu have mentioned that I must be expelled for stating the debt ranges within the RBI report. This reveals how illiberal a few of these political events are. I feel they need to be taught from the liberal and tolerant values of Mr. Gandhi’s management.
The second factor I wish to level out is that should you have a look at my publish fastidiously, I’m referring to the interval from 2010 to 2025. The 15 12 months pattern is what I’ve proven. This (DMK-led) authorities has been in existence for 4 years. Why do you assume this remark is just about this authorities?
* One of many arguments given is that we can’t solely speak about and evaluate absolute numbers. Tamil Nadu’s financial system is increasing and has the capability to service its debt. Even from a finances deficit perspective, the forecast is simply 3%, properly beneath the FRBM restrict. It is among the quickest rising states attracting trade.
Did I point out that Tamil Nadu is underperforming?The problem mentioned was debt. I solely commented on debt. I in contrast tendencies from 2010 to 2025. Any scale is okay. For instance, once we say debt to GDP, this can be a share, not an absolute quantity. Information from the identical report reveals that in 2010, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had virtually the identical debt-to-GDP ratio. In 2025, Tamil Nadu’s debt-to-GDP ratio is 30%, whereas Karnataka’s is just 22%. You’ll be able to seize the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Maharashtra’s debt-to-GDP ratio was greater than that of Tamil Nadu in 2010. By 2025, the debt-to-GDP ratio shall be half of Tamil Nadu’s debt.
There are three or 4 factors I discussed in my publish. One is the rising pattern of debt. I additionally talked about repayments and curiosity prices. In accordance with the RBI report, Tamil Nadu’s curiosity burden is the third highest after Punjab and Haryana. I’ve additionally talked about companies and I’ve talked about debt to GDP. In financial phrases, debt is a inventory variable and GDP is a circulation variable. Due to this fact, warning must be exercised when utilizing this measure statewide. I mentioned that Tamil Nadu is among the few giant states whose debt-to-GDP ratio isn’t beneath the COVID-19 stage. If there may be one good factor to come back out of all of the fuss over my publish, it’s that the common youth in Tamil Nadu is conscious of the issue of debt. Some boys got here as much as me on the streets of Chennai and requested questions reminiscent of whether or not they need to pay curiosity on this mortgage or not. It is good for the common voter to concentrate on these points.
* What was the response from inside your occasion, each in Tamil Nadu and Delhi?
Nothing from Delhi. There are a number of individuals from Tamil Nadu who clearly owe their whole politics to the DMK. And what’s actually fascinating is that when individuals like myself and Mr. Chidambaram made feedback in different states that have been at odds with our personal occasion and our personal authorities, nobody within the Congress neighborhood got here ahead to talk up. However curiously, in Tamil Nadu, on this case, fairly a couple of Congress members and native leaders one way or the other assumed that they have been all fiscal economists and began commenting on this. To start with, my publish was not a commentary on parliamentary authorities. So, this simply exposes how a few of these TN Congress leaders are closely depending on the DMK for his or her political survival.
* Additionally within the information is your assembly with TVK chief Vijay, and there may be discuss that some Congress leaders, together with you, are aligning with Vijay and need to sever ties with the DMK. What’s your place on this?
He wouldn’t touch upon his assembly with Mr. Vijay. So far as the state of affairs within the Tamil Nadu Union is worried, the one factor I can say is our stand. That is the demand of the Tamil Nadu Congress management and so they need extra alternatives by way of seats. They need a share of energy. They usually need higher respect. In spite of everything, the Congress occasion in Tamil Nadu has been out of energy for the previous 60 years for numerous causes. This time, there was very robust demand from the cadres, and though we aren’t positive about different cadres whose politics could also be depending on the DMK, it’s clear that greater than 75% of the cadres need electoral alternatives, which implies extra seats. They need a share of energy. In spite of everything, we can’t perceive why the Congress shouldn’t be a part of the Tamil Nadu authorities. The Congress is a part of the Union authorities in Maharashtra and Bihar and a part of the federal government in Jharkhand. What’s so distinctive about Tamil Nadu? The DMK was a part of the UPA authorities in Delhi. Having a couple of ministers from Congress within the authorities will assist our occasion develop. Maybe the presence of an allied authorities in TN would have helped the DMK handle its money owed higher. So the demand now from Congressional leaders is that now’s the time to demand this, which we’ve waited too lengthy for 60 years.
* The counterargument is that the Congress is one thing of a fringe entity in Tamil Nadu politics. So, is it cheap to ask for extra seats and a share of energy?And a few say that if the DMK isn’t keen to simply accept the calls for, it ought to act alone. The place do you stand on these factors?
These selections shall be made by Congressional management. Relating to the argument that political events are marginal gamers, that is like saying the varsity you go to is a really dangerous faculty that does not educate its college students properly, and you then flip it round and say, properly, you do not know something, your data is zero, why ought to I put you in school? That is completely unusual. We’re not rising the occasion. So my easy query is, what’s the vote share in Congress? Let’s take away the parliamentary vote share and see if the alliance can come to energy? In Tamil Nadu, it’s clear that a big part of voters desire a occasion that’s against the politics of the Bharatiya Janata Get together. And these voters know that the Congress is the one dependable occasion to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Get together below any circumstances. And they’re going to vote regardless of the place Congress goes. So what we must be is the votes, not the seats. To not overlook, DMK MLAs are additionally elected utilizing meeting votes.
* So if the DMK isn’t keen to offer you extra seats, extra energy share and the type of respect you might be speaking about, what are your choices within the Congress?
It is as much as the chief.
* And the assembly with Vijay – did the next come up in that assembly?
No, I do not need to speak about something in regards to the assembly (with Vijay). All we’re saying is that the calls for of the Congress management must be our pure associate, whichever political occasion is ready to fulfill these calls for.
*Vijay has not focused the BJP as onerous because the DMK or Stalin. He even referred to as the DMK an “evil power”. In gentle of this, will not the assembly with Mr. Vijay create issues for the Indian alliance?
I do not perceive why so many choices will be made in a single assembly. Don’t you assume individuals meet on a regular basis in Delhi?
*You mentioned that the excellent debt of Tamil Nadu is now greater than that of Uttar Pradesh. Comparisons between Tamil Nadu and the Bharatiya Janata Get together-ruled state have angered allies.
Comparisons with UP are made for no different motive than that UP is so badly ruled, and it’s a bit unhappy that Tamil Nadu’s absolute debt ranges are greater than UP’s, particularly since UP’s debt was greater than double in 2010. And even should you evaluate the debt with GDP, UP is the second most indebted state within the nation. In accordance with the RBI report for the 12 months ended March 2025, Tamil Nadu ranks first and UP ranks second. That is the one motive. Maybe this was misunderstood. I admit that I’m not political and simply considering technically about this side, however it might be very silly and immature to say that simply because I in contrast TN and UP, I’m Sanghi in disguise.
