Thangkabalu backs present TNCC chief

Thangkabalu is said to have met and persuaded a few AICC seniors in New Delhi a few days ago to get the stamp of approval to Thirunavukkarasar’s plans to reorganize the state party unit, which includes doubling the party districts to 60 plus districts in Tamil Nadu.

Thirunavukkarasar had proposed bifurcation of party districts and appointment of new district presidents a few months ago, but the AICC had kept it in abeyance following objections from senior Congress leaders in TN. While his predecessor EVKS Elangovan has publicly opposed the proposal tooth and nail, former union minister P Chidambaram, another influential Congress senior from Tamil Nadu, has refused to endorse the proposal even after Thirunavukkarasar’s repeated appeals to back him on the issue. Thangkabalu was one of the few supporters of Thirunavukkarasar’s list, which comprises over two dozens of his nominees. The former TNCC chief had lobbied hard through his AICC contacts close on the heels of Thirunavukkarasar vainly camping a couple of days in New Delhi last week to get the bosses assent to his list. 

A TNCC senior privy to the developments told DTNext that the high command was not in favour of reorganising the party in tune with the recommendations made by the incumbent TNCC chief, who has been pushing hard to get his list okayed to negate the influence of EVKS Elangovan supporters accounting for nearly 70% of the district functionaries. Thirunavukkarasar has also been facing heat from ally DMK, which has not taken lightly the former’s hobnobbing with ruling AIADMK, particularly members of Sasikala clan.