It was important for the former Union Minister, G.K. Vasan, to put up a show of strength while launching his new party on Monday. And many believe he achieved this goal quite well.
The Vasan camp was particular on spreading the word that 28 Congress district presidents accepted his invitation and trouped out of the parent party. But it is a known fact that unlike the Dravidian parties in which the district secretaries act as the cog in the organisation’s wheel, the role of the district presidents was highly restricted in the Congress.
But Mr. Vasan scored on getting many senior leaders, most of whom were former lieutenants of his father G.K. Moopanar, and known faces, to rally behind him.
The packed hall where he announced his decision to float a party was stunned when the former MP, Peter Alphonse, who had maintained a fair distance from Mr. Vasan ever since the TMC merged with the Congress in 2002, walked in and posed for photographs.
Another surprise was the former Kanchipuram MP, P. Viswanathan, identified in the past with the former Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram’s faction.
In fact, Mr. Vasan was able to poach many of the erstwhile TMC leaders, including S.R. Balasubramonian, S.S. Ramasubbu and N.S.V Chittan. In all, his camp claimed to enjoy the support of 11 former MPs and 30 former MLAs, besides two MLAs John Jacob and N.R. Renganathan.
There were misses, too. The Vasan loyalist and MLA, J.G Prince, was absent, though sources said efforts were on to convince him to switch to the new party.
The biggest surprise was the former MP, J.M. Aaroon Rashid, who was talked out of switching camps by the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel.
In fact, most of the senior leaders who stood with Mr. Vasan told The Hindu that they received calls through Saturday from the Congress high command, especially from Mr. Patel and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, asking them to stick to the parent party.
Both Mr. Balasubramonian and Mr. Alphonse said lack of access to the high command was a major factor in their decision to leave the Congress.
Mr. Alphonse said that despite being a senior leader, he was not even appointed as a spokesperson. “I was only made a panellist speaker. Sincere party workers were never recognised. The general secretaries gave us little respect,” he said.
Don’t be a prodigal son: EVKS
Making it clear that even defections by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy and C. Rajagopalachari did not destroy the Congress in Tamil Nadu, the newly appointed TNCC president, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, made a final appeal to Mr. Vasan on Monday, urging him not to “step out of his home” and not to become a prodigal son.
Flanked by senior leaders K.V. Thangkabalu and Su. Thirunavukkarasar, Mr. Elangovan told reporters that it was not right on Mr. Vasan’s part to leave the party when it was facing difficult times. Whatever be the issue, it could be sorted out within the party.
“Please remember that wherever you go now, you would have to come back here [the Congress] one day. But if you insist on your decision, I can only wish you good luck,” he added.
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