Pro-Elangovan campaign launched

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 5. With the Congress(I) high command likely to decide the fate of the TNCC(I) president, Mr. E. V. K. S. Elangovan, in a couple of days, as many as 27 former party MLAs and 12 ex-MPs including former Union Minister, Mr. R. Prabhu, have now launched a

high-pitch campaign for his continuance.

Obviously to counter the dissidents' recent `show of strength' in Delhi where they presented over 50 TNCC(I) functionaries before the party high command, a group of former TNCC(I) MLAs and MPs have sent separate petitions to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, urging her not to axe Mr. Elangovan.

In their petition, the former MLAs including Mr. U. Balaraman and Mrs. D. Yasodha reeled off the `leadership traits' of Mr. Elangovan, emphasising that he had preserved the dignity of the Congress(I) in the State and played an effective Opposition to the ruling DMK.

In a bid to take the sting off the dissidents' campaign that Mr.Elangovan had demonstrated his political immaturity by his verbal spat with the AIADMK, Mr. Elangovan's supporters, in the petition, claimed that the TNCC(I) chief was ``expressing his views on alliance issues with great maturity''.

The former Union Minister, Mr. Prabhu, a key supporter of Mr. Elangovan, who too has sent a petition to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, claimed that the dissidents' campaign would not succeed and that Mr. Elangovan would continue.

Mr. Prabhu also rejected the dissidents' charge that Mr.Elangovan's continuance would affect the alliance with the AIADMK. ``His continuance will have no bearing on the alliance with the AIADMK'', he stressed. Meanwhile, in a last-minute bid to appease the AICC(I) and save his post, Mr. Elangovan, who has been camping in Delhi for the past few days, met Mrs.Sonia Gandhi yesterday.

However, he said that he had not discussed the ``issue of his continuance'' and had only invited her for a public meeting in Madurai to mark Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary later this month or early January. While the State Congress(I) factions are plunged into frantic lobbying, the TNCC(I) has cancelled its proposed gala event to mark Mrs.Sonia Gandhi's birthday on December 9.

The TNCC(I) president had planned to invite the leaders of the alliance parties including the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. J. Jayalalitha and the TMC president, Mr. G. K. Moopanar, for the mega celebrations, but it has been dropped ``due to lack of time'', say party sources.

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Section  : Southern States
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