The Congress in Tamil Nadu looks set for another major split with the former Union Minister G.K. Vasan on Saturday hitting out at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for neglecting issues of the State and hinting at the revival of the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), launched by his father, the late G.K. Moopanar, just before the 1996 general elections.
Mr. Vasan’s outburst on Saturday came after Congress president Sonia Gandhi accepted the resignation of B.S. Gnanadesikan as TNCC president and replaced him with Mr. Vasan’s long-time rival and former Union Minister, E.V.K.S. Elangovan.
Invoking the ‘Valamana Tamizhagam, Valimayana Bharatham’ (Prosperous Tamil Nadu, Strong India) slogan — coined by Moopanar during the launch of the TMC in 1996 — Mr. Vasan told reporters here shortly after the appointment of Mr. Elangovan that the actions of the AICC over the last few years had been “against the sentiments” of party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu.
Asked if he would launch a new party, Mr. Vasan said he would hold discussions with his supporters and announce the next step on Monday.
