Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B.S. Gnanadesikan on Thursday offered his resignation from the post over differences with All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Sources in the TNCC told The Hindu that the move followed a showdown between Mr. Gnanadesikan and Mukul Wasnik, Congress general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu, in New Delhi on Wednesday after a meeting over membership drive. Mr. Gnanadesikan informed Ahmed Patel, the political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, that he was offering his resignation.
Sources close to Mr. Gnanadesikan said he was upset at the utter “lack of respect” from the AICC in decision making. There had been no coordination with the TNCC leadership, which is never consulted for any major decision, including appointments to TNCC posts.
In his resignation letter to Ms. Gandhi, the lawyer-turned-politician said he was offering to quit so that the re-organisation of the Pradesh Congress could take place without any hindrance.
It is learnt that Mr. Gnanadesikan was also upset at several TNCC leaders lobbying with the party high command for his removal.
Mr. Wasnik, it is alleged, had encouraged such leaders by meeting them during his recent visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. However, Mr. Wasnik denied the charges and said he had a cordial relationship with the TNCC leaders.
Vasan upset
In fact, sources confirmed that former Union Minister G.K. Vasan, to whose faction Mr. Gnanadesikan belongs, too was upset with the central leadership for not according due respect to State leaders.
The latest incident that sparked a row in the party was the instruction of the high command to the State unit to not issue membership cards which carried the photo of late Congress leader G.K. Moopanar.
“This is an example of how the AICC is not allowing an independent functioning for the State unit. There is no way we could accept the removal of the pictures of the two leaders (the other being the picture of late Kamaraj) from membership cards,” a party functionary close to Mr. Vasan said.
The matter was discussed at a closed-door meeting between Mr. Vasan and his supporters and Mr. Gnanadesikan on Thursday morning. It was after this meeting that the resignation letter was sent to Ms. Gandhi, sources added.
