Chennai: S. Thirunavukarasar, who had his political grooming in the Dravidian movement and had served in MGR’s cabinet, was on Wednesday chosen to lead the faction-ridden Tamil Nadu Congress. His appointment ends a three-month long leadership vacuum.
Thirunavukarasar (67), who had served as a Union minister of state in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, succeeds the firebrand EVKS Elangovan, who submitted his resignation on June 15 after the party’s drubbing in the 2016 Assembly elections.
The appointment of Mr Thirunavukarasar, currently an AICC Secretary, clearly points to the role of party vice president Rahul Gandhi as he is said to have close links with Mr Gandhi, which developed during the Telangana crisis when Mr Thirunavukarasar was one of the in-charge Secretaries of the then united Andhra Pradesh.
Though Mr Elangovan submitted his resignation three months back, the party High Command was in no hurry to appoint his successor since there were several claimants. When AICC proposed the name of Mr. Thirunavukarasar, most of the senior leaders, including Mr Elangovan, opposed his candidature saying his roots could be traced to the Dravidian movement and hence he can’t lead the state unit of a national party.
Thanking party leaders Sonia and Rahul profusely for “reposing faith” on him, the new TNCC chief said he would strive towards taking the party to heights. “I invite all Congressmen to come forward and work towards uniting the party. We will all work together to take the party to greater heights,” he told reporters.
Beginning his political career in 1977 as Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly immediately after being elected as first-time MLA, Mr. Thirunavukarasar became a minister in the subsequent governments led by MGR and even launched his own outfit MGR ADMK after MGR’s demise.
He joined the BJP later and became a Union minister, after which he joined the Congress in 2010 and unsuccessfully contested the 2011 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
EVKS Elangovan welcomes appointment
Though initially opposed to the candidature of S. Thirunavukarasar as TNCC chief, firebrand E.V.K.S. Elangovan on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the former Union minister assuring him of his support to strengthen Congress in Tamil Nadu.
Elangovan, who resigned as TNCC chief in June after the party’s poor showing in the May 16 Assembly elections, had written a letter to the AICC in July opposing Thirunavukarasar’s possible appointment as his successor.
But, on Wednesday, when Thirunavukarasar was finally appointed to the post, Mr Elangovan seemed to have reconciled to the nominee of the high command. “I have just now congratulated him and I am hopeful that he would work with all party cadres to further strengthen Congress in Tamil Nadu,” Mr Elangovan told Deccan Chronicle.
Asked whether he would cooperate with Thirunavukarasar and his new team, Elangovan said he was always an obedient Congress worker who follows the instructions and decisions of the high command. “I will continue to work for the Congress. I am always for strengthening the Congress in TN,” he said.
Another senior leader Peter Alphonse, who recently quit the TMC to rejoin the Congress, also welcomed Thirunavukarasar’s appointment saying he would take the party to greater heights in TN.
“He has had a very long political career. He is well-known in political circles and he will have the support of all leaders to strengthen the party in the state,” he said.
