Talk of leadership change in TNCC after veteran’s meeting with Sonia

Information trickling out of Sathyamurthy Bhavan suggests that TNCC vice president TN Muruganandam was invited by AICC ‘president’ Sonia Gandhi in the week ahead of the recently concluded Congress Working Committee meeting.

Muruganandam, who is also responsible for the ‘upkeep’ of Rajiv Memorial in Sriperumbudur, was learnt to have been invited by Sonia Gandhi’s office to personally discuss the memorial as well as the prevailing chatter surrounding TNCC leadership in the state Congress unit. 

The former MLA, who is known for the ease with which he meets the Gandhis, was learnt to have briefed the leadership about the speculations on guard change at the TNCC helm. 

The meeting has lent credence to rumours that MPs S Jothimani, Manickam Tagore, state party whip S Vijayadharani and incumbent treasurer Ruby Manoharan were vying for the coveted post of TNCC president.

A senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu said on condition of anonymity that the AICC leadership had put the leadership change issue briefly on hold owing to the pressing engagements in the north, especially after the UP farmers killing episode. The leadership does not want to cause fresh friction by changing the TNCC president now.

So, incumbent KS Alagiri’s run would continue till the AICC deems fit to take up the TNCC leadership issue, he added, before admitting that the national high command wants someone who would balance between the old and new guard so that animosity, like in a few north Indian states, does not happen.

The Congress senior also refused to dismiss Muruganandam’s meeting as unrelated to the leadership crisis.