Chennai, June 27
The Congress on Saturday appointed Lok Sabha Whip and three-time Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), replacing K. Selvaperunthagai in a major organisational reshuffle aimed at strengthening the party’s leadership in the State after the recent Assembly election.
The decision is widely seen as the Congress high command’s attempt to revive the party’s organisational machinery and reassess its political strategy in Tamil Nadu amid changing political equations. Party sources said growing dissatisfaction among a section of State leaders, coupled with concerns raised by senior leaders in New Delhi over the party’s direction, led to the leadership change.
A senior parliamentarian and one of the Congress’ prominent faces in Tamil Nadu, Tagore is regarded as being close to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. His appointment is expected to provide fresh momentum to the party as it prepares for future electoral challenges.
Tagore had been among the earliest Congress leaders to publicly advocate an alliance with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ahead of the Assembly election. He argued that the Congress should explore a political realignment, while also pressing for a larger share of seats and participation in government. His remarks reportedly caused unease within the DMK, which then headed the State’s INDIA bloc alliance.
In contrast, Selvaperunthagai consistently favoured retaining the Congress’ alliance with the DMK and opposed any move towards a partnership with the TVK, exposing differences within the State unit over the party’s future political course.
Selvaperunthagai’s removal also comes a day after he criticised Chief Minister Vijay over a public gesture directed at DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and attacked the State government, in which the Congress is a coalition partner.
Political observers believe Tagore’s elevation signals the Congress leadership’s intention to reorganise the Tamil Nadu unit while recalibrating its alliance strategy ahead of future elections.
