Lobbying for Nanguneri starts hours after Cong MLA quits

Vasantha Kumar, on Wednesday, submitted his resignation to Legislative Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal.

After submitting the resignation, Vasantha Kumar, while addressing reporters said, “I was MLA for 8 years and there was good support from people. First chance as MLA was given by people of Nanguneri.”

He also said that after he submitted the resignation letter, he was wished by Dhanapal who asked him to perform well in the Lok Sabha.

Barely two hours after the media flashed images of Speaker Dhanapal accepting the resignation, information started trickling out of the Congress headquarters about the contenders vying for the by-poll seat.

This, even as the Congressmen were unsure if the DMK would generously offer the seat to them or snatch it away, as it did with Sholingur and Hosur seats.

Former Congress whip Peter Alphonse, who had unsuccessfully tried to secure the Tirunelveli Parliament ticket, which the DMK had eventually retained, was prominent among the bidders for the Assembly bypoll ticket. Peter was joined by state Youth Congress vice president Amirtharaj, who also seem to be interested in the bypoll ticket.

Another big shot with an eye on Nanguneri who could make a bid for the seat was former MP Rani Venkatesan, a supporter of former TNCC president EVKS Elangovan. Ironically, their wishes would come true only if ally DMK were charitable enough to give the seat.

“Should the DMK wish to increase its strength in the House by another seat, like it did in Sholingur, it would contest on its own. In that case, our leaders will must be content with waiting for another election,” said a Congress senior requesting anonymity. Though it is one of the sitting seats of the Congress party in the state, the DMK was learnt to be wresting control of the seat in Tirunelveli.

Meanwhile, when asked why did he resign as Nanguneri MLA, when people had elected him twice, Vasantha Kumar replied that he had done all possible works in three years. “Nearly 51 ponds were desilted in Nanguneri. Several roads were laid and new buses were introduced to villages which had never seen bus services,” said Vasantha Kumar.

He also said that he had spent from his pocket for the people and he believes that people will vote for the person whom he points out.

When asked about the resignation letter of Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, he replied that 12 crore people voted for them and there is no reason for Rahul Gandhi to resign. “Rahul Gandhi can only guide us. He should be the leader for us and he should continue to be the head. He should take back his resignation letter,” said Vasantha Kumar.