Elangovan appointed new TNCC President

E V K S Elangovan was today appointed the new TN Congress Committee President with the party accepting the resignation of B S Gnanadesikan, who was upset over his "neglect" by the AICC.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appointed Elangovan to the post, Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik announced.
Elangovan had earlier also served as TNCC chief and was Minister of State in UPA-I.
Gnanadesikan had quit as TNCC President on October 30 as he was upset at his "neglect" by AICC.
"The State president does not have respect and powers," he had said, citing several instances belittling his role in the affairs of the party to buttress his point.

Former union minister G K Vasan had yesterday come out in Gnanadesikan's support, amid indications that his camp was cut up with the high command over the continued "sidelining" of his followers.

TNCC Treasurer 'Covai' Thangam, also a Vasan follower, had also resigned from his post yesterday with party sources indicating that more resignations would follow.
Vasan had said that Gnandesikan only reflected "the mood of the party workers" by quitting from his post.
The meeting came in the backdrop of growing displeasure in Vasan camp over "sidelining" of his supporters and high command's objection to issuance of party membership cards with images of his father G K Moopanar and Kamaraj, allegedly at the behest of rival camps.

Stating that ten lakh membership cards were printed, Gnanadesikan had said that the high command had asked him to "not use them" (as the cards had images of Kamaraj and Moopanar embossed on them).
Thangam said halting distribution of membership cards with images of Kamaraj and Moopanar had "ulterior motives and would set a wrong precedent."
The Vasan camp, which has a large following among the cadres, is locked in a turf war with former union minister P Chidambaram.
Gnanadesikan faulted Chidambaram for not attending party functions organised by him and for holding meetings without his knowledge in districts.
Gnanadesikan had said, "I did not have powers to appoint people who toiled for the party, and those with posts did not work."

Faulting the high command for slighting state units, he said during Lok Sabha elections the party high command held talks for alliance with a party in Tamil Nadu without his knowledge, apparently referring to Congress' failed efforts to woo DMDK's Vijaykant.
Chidambaram or his camp followers have not officially commented so far post-Gnandesikan's resignation.
In 2002, Vasan had merged the Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) founded by his father Moopanar after the Congress highcommand decided to align with AIADMK in 1996 Assembly polls ignoring opposition from TNCC.