Congress tussle casts shadow over DMK prospects

CHENNAI: The DMK which is keen to emerge successful in the local body elections and strengthen itself at the grassroots level is anxiously watching the leadership tussle in TNCC as it can have an adverse effect on the front’s prospects in civic body polls. With just a few months to go for the local body elections, Congress high command has opted for a leadership change in the state by accepting the resignation of TNCC leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan.

Quitting the post accepting moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Assembly polls more than a month after the election results, appears too queer and supporters of Elangovan who took over the reins at a critical time for the party, feel that their leader had been forced to quit. Though Elangovan is trying to pacify partymen, citing his bad health, they are furious over blaming Elangovan for the defeat, even while several senior leaders did not even bother to campaign for the party.

Even while the race is hotting up for the next TNCC president, the resignation of Chennai (North) district president ‘Royapuram’ Mano may open gates to further problems in the party. With just one per cent of votes separating the ruling AIADMK and DMK, the support of Congress could be useful for the Dravidian ally in South Tamil Nadu, where the party has a notable presence.

Elangovan had already announced that Congress alliance with the DMK would continue for the local body elections. A DMK functionary said, “Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had greeted our leader on his birthday and our leader has reciprocated the gesture. Our relationship is cordial. We cannot comment on the internal affairs of another party, even if it is our ally. We hope there will be no confusion in Congress at the time of local body elections.”

However, the race for leadership has further aggravated the factional tussle in Congress. It is unlikely to abate before the local body elections as the new leader will try to bring a new team at all levels. Besides, allocation of seats for various groups in the party during the civic body polls could also lead to more heartburn. The infighting in Congress threatens to cast a shadow over DMK’s performance in the local body elections.

Party in discussion over Elangovan’s successor:

While the names of senior leader S. Thirunavukarasar, Manicka Tagore and Sudharsana Natchiappan are doing the rounds to succeed E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who was forced to quit recently as TNCC chief, there is a line of thinking gaining ground that a Dalit or someone from a minority community could be the right choice. “All the three leaders are from one particular community and CLP leader K.R. Ramasamy also belongs to the same community. It may not be an ideal situation for a national party to let one community or group to get both these top posts. A Dalit or a minority leader might be better,” said a Congress old-timer.

“Please don’t quote me. I don’t want to get into crossfire,” the old-timer who is an office bearer of the faction-ridden Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, said. Several district presidents and office-bearers of the TNCC are planning to rush to New Delhi to impress upon the High Command to appoint someone from the two communities to the top post. Among the leaders in Dalit community, those who could be considered for the post are AICC secretary Jayakumar and former MLA D. Yasodha, who is sulking after she was denied seat to contest recent Assembly elections, TNCC leaders said.

The leaders said Peter Alphonse, who jumped the ship from Tamil Maanila Congress after it aligned with PWA-DMDK, could emerge as a dark horse if the AICC decided to snub deserter G.K. Vasan. Mr Alphonse, a South strongman of the party once, had been with Mr Vasan for quite a long time. “The Congress is not very strong in Tamil Nadu and given the current situation, it is not good to have two or three Congress’ in the state. So, Mr Alphonse could also be appointed keeping in mind the merger of TMC with the Congress,” another senior leader said.

Former MLA A. Chellakumar is also lobbying for the post of TNCC chief arguing that he comes from a traditional Congress family. Meanwhile, former Union finance minister P. Chidambaram is pushing the case of former Chennai Deputy Mayor ‘Karate’ R. Thyagarajan who lost the elections from Mylapore seat. “If the choice falls on ‘Karate’, many an eyebrow might go up,” a senior leader requesting anonymity said.