TN Congress Splits

Trouble continued to dog an already enfeebled Congress in Tamil Nadu, as the party split after senior leader and G K Moopanar’s son, G K Vasan, quitting the party and planning to start a new outfit. Retaliating to Vasan’s exit, the Congress leadership expelled him from the party for “inappropriate comments against it”.

Angry over the way the Congress leadership handled the affairs of the state unit and allegedly ignored the merit of leaders, Vasan said, “We have taken this decision after getting the feedback of lakhs of Congress cadres in Tamil Nadu, as well as state leaders. We have sent in our resignations,” he announced at a press conference here. The development marks a full circle 18 years after his father broke from the Congress and formed the Tamil Maanila Congress, which tied up with M Karunanidhi's DMK to sweep the assembly and Lok Sabha Parliament elections in 1996. Later, the party merged with Congress in 2002 following Moopanar's death.

Avoiding any criticism of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi, Vasan squarely blamed others entrusted with party affairs in the state. The approach of AICC in Tamil Nadu was not satisfactory in achieving its goal of bringing party rule in Tamil Nadu, he said.

Vasan, who spent 14 years in Congress, said his new party would bring back “Kamaraj rule“ in Tamil Nadu. Reacting to Vasan's decision and his attack on the leadership, Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar announced his expulsion from the party. Newly appointed Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President EVKS Elangovan convened a press briefing at the state Congress headquarters and urged G.K. Vasan not to exit the party. “Don't become the prodigal son. I kindly request you not to leave the party. As far as I am concerned, you should remain in Congress,“ Elangovan said, adding that if Vasan insists on forming the new outfit, his exit will not in any way devitalize the Congress.

Former TNCC president K VThangkabalu, Thriunavukkarasu were present along with Elangovan, who has the blessings of senior leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram. In fact, the Vasan faction was upset by the treatment meted out to them by Chidambaram and the AICC. It began with Gnanadesikan quitting as TNCC president on Thursday, alleging he had been sidelined by Chidambaram and the party high command in Delhi.