Senior TMC leader against Vasan decision

Chennai: Knives were out in the Tamil Maanila Congress on Saturday over its decision to join the DMDK-People's Welfare Alliance with its senior leader
Peter Alphonse openly speaking against the tie-up and communicating to the leadership that he would not be available for campaigning during the elections.

Mr Alphonse, a former Rajya Sabha member and MLA in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, was non-committal on whether he would quit the TMC and go back to parent party, the Congress.

Another senior leader S R Balasubramanian, former Union Minister and former Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, also expressed his displeasure over the alliance to party chief Mr G.K. Vasan. Sources said many district leaders were also against going with the DMDK-PWA.

Speaking to DC, Peter Alphonse, who had rubbed shoulders with veterans K. Kamaraj and G.K. Moopanar, said being “a born Congressman”, he would never go against the ideals and policies of the Congress movement. “The stand taken by the party (joining hands with DMDK-PWA) is not agreeable to me and I have expressed my opinion to the leadership. I have said I would not be able to travel during the elections since the decision is not acceptable to me,” he said. Asked if he would remain in the TMC despite this disagreement, he quipped, “right now, the question before me is the elections and the electoral tie-up.”

“I will take a call when needed. Right now everything is about elections and let's just talk about it,” he said. Asked to comment about TNCC chief E.V.K.S. Elangovan’s invitation to the TMC cadre to return to the parent party, Peter Alphonse hinted he might not be averse to going back. “I am a Congressman by birth. I have been with Congress all along my life. I was with Congress (O)
with K Kamaraj and after his demise joined the Indian National Congress and worked with G.K. Moopanar. When Moopanar quit the Congress, I travelled with him to TMC and moved back to the parent party with Vasan,” he said.