Young Turks of TNCC inspired by rise of Revanth vie for top post in State
KS Alagiri is having a very long tenure as TNCC president, unusually long for the party. It has led to friction among many senior Congress leaders from the state. They are expected to push for a change in guard in the state, which would benefit young turks-it is believed.
Revanth Reddy
CHENNAI: The rise of Revanth Reddy in Telangana has revived the hopes of leaders aspiring for the post of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president.
Even as the Congress central leadership is slowly recovering from the five-state Assembly poll drubbing, party leaders in the state are hopeful that the national leadership would take a call on change of guard at the TNCC helm. If a few former TNCC presidents are to be believed, a new TNCC president could be announced in less than a week.
KS Alagiri is having a very long tenure as TNCC president, unusually long for the party. It has led to friction among many senior Congress leaders from the state. They are expected to push for a change in guard in the state, which would benefit young turks-it is believed.
A senior TNCC leader who did not wish to be named admitted that former state Congress leaders EVKS Elangovan, Krishnasamy, KV Thangkabalu and Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai, along former union minister P Chidambaram, had met and persuaded AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge a few months ago to replace KS Alagiri. However, the just concluded five-state Assembly polls delayed the process.
As recently as a fortnight ago, a few TNCC leaders complained to AICC about Alagiri organising a meeting on the 2024 Parliamentary polls without ‘inviting’ any senior leader or MPs or MLAs from the state. The meeting was so controversial that EVKS Elangovan publicly called it a “secret meeting” organised by Alagiri without inviting anyone. It was in this backdrop that Sivangangai MP Karti P Chidambaram openly admitted that given a chance, he would prove his mettle as TNCC president.
Highly placed sources in TNCC disclosed to DT Next that Karti Chidambaram met and personally requested Rahul Gandhi to appoint him as Tamil Nadu Congress president early this month. A few other young Turks from the state had also met the national bosses of their liking to secure the hot seat of the TNCC.
