Karti Demands White Paper On EB’s Power Purchases

Chennai:Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Thursday demanded a white paper on the Tamil Nadu electricity board’s financial position and its purchase of power from other States at high prices, seeking an explanation from the State power department on the reasons for the expenditure.

Speaking to reporters at Chennai, he said the department should explain why electricity was purchased at higher rates and the circumstances that necessitated such purchases. “Just as the government released a white paper on the State’s financial position, it should publish one on the electricity board as well,” he said.

On the reported differences between the DMK and the Congress, Karti acknowledged that there were some misunderstandings between the allies but said they could cooperate at the national level despite political rivalry in individual States. He cited Kerala, where the Congress and the Left compete against each other in State elections but work together at the national level.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he said political parties in Tamil Nadu might not fully understand its implications because the State had not experienced major adverse effects. However, the exercise had caused greater concern in States such as West Bengal and Bihar, making it a national issue for the Congress.

He also criticised alleged irregularities in the SIR, particularly the use of Forms 6 and 7 for voter registration and deletion. He said 18-year-olds had the right to register as voters and should not be questioned about whether their parents or grandparents had voted.

Questioning the submission of large numbers of Form 7 applications by a single individual, he said in Karnataka one person had reportedly submitted 7,500 forms. He also alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner was taking unilateral decisions, instead of decisions being made collectively by the Election Commission.

Defending Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit to Andhra Pradesh at the invitation of its Chief Minister, Karti aid there was nothing wrong with maintaining cordial relations between neighbouring States, even when their governments belonged to rival political alliances. Competition for industrial investments should not be confused with hostility between States, he said.

Reacting to Union home minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the BJP would win the next Assembly election in Tamil Nadu, he said such claims were routine in politics, with every party projecting itself as a winner.

On the possibility of a third front emerging for the 2029 Lok Sabha election, he said it was too early to comment, as the election was still two-and-a-half years away. “It would not be surprising even if a world war broke out by then,” he remarked.

He added that parties opposed to the BJP should join hands with the Congress at the national level, arguing that the Congress and the BJP were the two principal national parties.