TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar tightens grip with rejig

The list of 72 district presidents, which does not comprise even a single woman, also has a few sidekicks and ‘staff’ of prominent leaders. A close look at the list prepared by incumbent TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar and okayed by AICC on Friday has revealed that the national party has even appointed as district presidents a few political greenhorns. 

Even Congress insiders admit that it is worse than the one prepared by immediate past president EVKS Elangovan. “At least Elangovan appointed party men. Some of the DCC presidents of Thirunavukkarasar are not even regulars in the Congress. How can you appoint two TMC office bearers as DCC presidents? Will this happen in any other party?” wondered a state Congress senior. 

A senior state functionary, familiar with the new District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, told DTNext that a DCC had asked him how to add new members to the party this morning. “How do you expect such DCC chiefs to be respected by the DMK district secretaries?” he asked. 

However, in the process, Thirunavukkarasar has wrested control over the party, which consists of over 40 new DCC presidents in the reorganisation. Half of the new DCC presidents owe their allegiance to Thirunavukkarasar and another 9 existing members, who once swore loyalty to Elangovan had also defected to his camp. 

Add the lone DCC representation given to former law makers like JM Haroon, R Prabhu and MLA Vasanthakumar, the TNCC chief enjoys the backing of nearly 50 of the 72 district party heads, something he had been striving to achieve to undo the influence of his bitter critic Elangovan. Pertinently, former union minister P Chidambaram and Elangovan were content retaining the five and nine DCC presidents respectively. Especially Chidambaram refused to propose names for the appointments.

Former TNCC chief KV Thangkabalu was another big loser. He was allocated a measly three district presidents despite making a strong push through his boss and former union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. In all, the organizational revamp has strengthened Thirunavukkarasar, but weakened the party.