Infighting Intensifies Between Two Factions In TNCC

A group of Congress workers owing allegiance to legislator Ruby Manoharan ransacked the TNCC headquarters, Satyamoorthy Bhavan.

KS Alagiri (File Photo)

Chennai: The strife within the Tamil Nadu Congress (TNCC) has escalated after senior leaders including former state unit chiefs like K.V. Thangabalu and E.V.K.S. Elangovan complained about the functioning of current state President K.S. Alagiri.

A group of Congress workers owing allegiance to legislator Ruby Manoharan ransacked the TNCC headquarters, Satyamoorthy Bhavan. This was following a dispute in the Tirunelveli district Congress committee. Manoharan was unhappy that "his followers were sidelined" while sharing block-level party posts and that the district president, Jayakumar had "filled the posts with his own supporters".

This resulted in cadres and middle-level leaders supporting Manoharan and reaching the party headquarters in three buses, which followed the ransacking of the office premises.

After this, the TNCC suspended Manoharan but within hours this was stayed by the AICC secretary incharge of Tamil Nadu, Dhinesh Gundurao. This led to several senior leaders owing allegiance to K.S. Alagiri coming out against Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Sources in the Congress party told IANS that several senior party leaders were against the functioning of K.S. Alagiri and wanted to remove him from the post.

Former Union minister and senior leader, Dhanushkodi Adityan while speaking to media persons said that "group revival in the party was a clear indication that the Congress was being strengthened in the state".

In Tamil Nadu, the Congress had won eight seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Dr. S. Swaminathan, a retired Professor of Political Science from a prominent University of Tamil Nadu, while speaking to IANS said, "The Tamil Nadu Congress in alliance with DMK has gained much ground and this is the cause for group war in the party. Congress being a democratic party, group wars and dissent are normal and ultimately the party is gaining ground in Tamil Nadu which is good for the grand old party which is puffing and panting in several parts of the country."

With Congress trying to rejuvenate itself in the state, the group and dissident activities are also on the rise.

A senior leader of the Congress party owing allegiance to K.S. Alagiri while speaking to IANS said, "Alagiri is a powerful leader and after several years someone is talking about the Congress party in Tamil Nadu and this is a good sign. The party is on the path of revival in the state and for the time being, a political alliance with DMK is doing the party well."