Former minister gives Rahul a taste of his own medicine
Vasan proclaimed that about 80 per cent of the party's youth were with him
Chennai: Erstwhile Congress leader G.K.Vasan is just doing what hurts AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi the most wooing youth Congress cadres. The second noticeable activity of his newly launched party was a meeting of youth Congress functionaries on Friday in which Vasan proclaimed that about 80 per cent of the party’s youth were with him.The same evening, TNCC chief E.V.K.S. Elangovan gave an assurance to cadres not to get misled by the rumours. A day later on Saturday evening, incumbent state youth Congress president (in charge) J. Vijaya Elanchezhian, a supporter of Chidambaram, announced the expulsion of eight state functionaries close to Vasan.
In a statement issued here, Elanchezhian also vowed to teach a lesson to those spreading falsehood about youth Congress. That said, unfazed Vasan faction is still going gung ho over wooing to more members from youth Congress, the pet project of Rahul Gandhi for Congress revival that bombed big time.Most Vasan loyalists claim that bad blood flew between Vasan and Rahul owing to youth Congress.
Some youth Congress national officebearers were constantly misinforming Rahul, who fuelled them by repeatedly targeting Vasan supporters, remarked another Vasan loyalist. “A few thousand cadres, mostly youth, gathered to receive ayya (Vasan) in Kangeyam and Thangachimadam on Saturday. What will you do with so many cadres in the Congress as it is now,” wondered M.Yuvaraja, a die-hard Vasan loyalist who was stripped off youth Congress state chief post at Rahul’s behest.
Congress sources revealed that the youth Congress candidates in the poll fray were given Rs 2 crore each extra for poll expenditure. Rahul had restricted his campaign to his youth Congress supporters’ seats then. “Factionalism was promoted at the entry level,” says C. Gnanasekaran, former Congress whip in the assembly who had gone with Vasan. Perhaps, the Kabisthalam mirazdar is giving the Congress prince a taste of his own medicine by taking away the same youth Congress cadres he used against him.
( Source : dc )
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