Alagiri’s efforts for district-level rejig stir hornet’s nest in TNCC

Alagiri was learnt to have proposed a district-level rejig in the state during his meeting with party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi. Sources with knowledge of the meeting revealed that the TNCC had proposed replacement of some existing district presidents, especially those appointed by his predecessor Su Thirunavukkarasar. Alagiri was keen on appointing his and former union finance minister P Chidambaram’s supporters as district presidents,something TNCC chiefs do after taking over the reins of the state party unit.

Party insiders say, the recent district Congress president’s meeting held at Sathyamurthy Bhavan was a prelude to Alagiri’s visit to the national capital. Alagiri had revealed his plans at the meeting when he had declared that he was planning a revamp at the district-level to infuse some energy into the state party unit ahead of the crucial local body elections.

Significantly, a few of his own party friends have advised Alagiri against sacking district party presidents ahead of the civic polls, which was the original agenda of last week’s meeting. However, the other factional lords in the state Congress, who had caught whiff of Alagiri’s plans had also made their moves to stop the organisational shake up, which would minimise the chances of their supporters during the civic polls.

TNCC sources in the know disclosed that Alagiri could not put up a strong case and he might have to do some strong reasoning to put his plans into action. Incarceration of Chidambaram, who remains in judicial custody in connection with INX-Media case, was another reason for the TNCC chief not getting his job done.

Meanwhile, some district Congress presidents have sent feelers to other parties, including the ruling AIADMK to change loyalties. A few district presidents in Tirunelveli, Thanjavur and western districts were understood to have established contact with some AIADMK Ministers to defect while they hold their posts in the Congress so that they would be rewarded appropriately in the ruling party.