Elangovan to head Congress' Tamil Nadu unit

The Congress Saturday appointed E.V.K.S.Elangovan as the chief of its Tamil Nadu unit following the resignation of B.S.Gnanadesikan.

Meanwhile former union shipping minister G.K.Vasan said that he would announce his future course of action Nov 3. Incidentally Gnanadesikan is part of the Vasan camp in the Tamil Nadu Congress.

Not yielding to any pressure tactics from the Vasan camp, the party replaced Gnanadesikan, who resigned Oct 30, with Elangovan.

Speculation is rife about Vasan reviving the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), a party founded by his late father G.K.Moopanar after breaking away from Congress in 1996.

The TMC was later merged with Congress in 2002 under the leadership of Vasan.

Resigning his party post, Gnanadesikan charged that the party high command does not consult the state unit on any party related matters.

He also attacked the decision to remove the pictures of late party leaders K.Kamaraj and Moopanar from party membership cards.

He also charged former union minister P.Chidambaram with playing a solo role.

Chidambaram has not visited the party office for the past three months and has held some meetings on his own, Gnanadesikan alleged.

Gnanadesikan was perhaps the only state chief in the Congress to come out openly against the high command.

Vasan expressed his support to Gnanadesikan after the latter's resignation.

Another party official Kovai Thangam also belonging to Vasan camp also resigned his party post.

Gnanadesikan's outburst against the party leadership ahd the support extended by Vasan to him has resulted in speculation about TMC's revival.

Not ruling out any such venture, Vasan just said his future course of action would be announced Nov 3.

He told reporters here that if the situation warrants to float a separate party, then he would announce the same.

The Congress was considered "untouchable" in the state for all other parties during the Lok Sabha elections over its stand on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue and corruption charges. And the same situation is expected to continue till the 2016 assembly elections in the state.

If Vasan opts to revive TMC, then he will have around one and half years time to prepare for the assembly polls.

Commanding a major following amongst party cadres, Vasan's proposed outfit may be preferred by other Tamil Nadu parties for an alliance.

However Elangovan hoped that Vasan will continue to remain in the party.