Chennai: Former Union shipping minister G.K.Vasan will need to make more noise if he were really keen on sustaining the initial momentum of his days-old Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar).
For a leader heading the breakaway Congress faction that promises to be more regional with a national outlook, Vasan is near ‘mumbling’ by established standards of political rhetoric in the state.
For, other than raking up some national issues, including the statement about hike in price of life-saving drugs he issued Monday, the TMC leader’s statements were mostly appeals to the ruling AIADMK.
Lack of venom in his statements has already kept the rumour mills spinning overtime about the TMC gravitating towards the AIADMK.
Defending the silence, former Congress whip and Vasan confidant C. Gnanasekaran reasoned; “TMC is still in the formative phase. We just announced the party name. We have to start issuing membership cards and settle before criticizing other parties or governments. We are not totally silent. Vasan has issued statements about sand prize and fishermen arrest,” he added.
TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan is also keeping cadres guessing by going unusually soft on the DMK he once comfortably bashed. In choosing to meet DMK president M. Karunanidhi first after his appointment as TNCC chief Elangovan had only reaffirmed cadres’ doubts.
A sharp-tongued Elangovan has found substance in power purchase and dhal procurement to pick holes in the AIADMK regime.
“Elangovan will praise someone today and ridicule tomorrow. Given his track record, his soft corner for DMK is not worth so much attention because he has been one of the most inconsistent politicians of all times,” Gnanasekaran quipped.
“DMK and Congress were coalition partners. We had some differences in Lankan Tamils issue. Even that has changed now. Elangovan is demanding ouster of Rajapaksa now. What we need now is a consolidation of secular forces to defeat the communal and corrupt forces at the state and Centre,” TNCC member Gopanna reasoned referring to the participation of Left leaders at Nehru’s 125th anniversary celebration at Satyamurthy Bhavan this noon.
Another PCC functionary requesting anonymity said, “Vasan is clueless and hence the stoic silence on AIAD MK. The alliance situation is very fluid in TN now.”
