Elangovan may find the going tough

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, AUG. 25. Amid indications that the Congress(I) high command is keen on revamping the rump of its unit in Tamil Nadu, the party's Central Election Authority, chairman, Mr. Ram Niwas Mirdha, will be here on August 30 to restart the organisational poll process.

The senior Congress(I) leader would hold a meeting of the district Congress(I) presidents, State office-bearers and possibly announce the schedule for the organisational elections.

The party polls in the State were put on hold in June this year, when the then TNCC(I) president, Mr. Tindivanam K. Ramamurthy, was replaced by Mr. E.V.K.S. Elangovan. And with the sacked president closing down the TNCC(I) headquarters office, leaving the party virtually ``homeless'' and without any relevant records for holding elections, the new incumbent, Mr. Elangovan had sought postponement of elections.

However, senior Congress(I) leaders, Mr. Vayalar Ravi and Mr. V. Narayanasamy, were sent to Chennai a couple of days ago to facilitate the smooth handover of the documents from Mr. Ramamurthy to the present TNCC(I) president.

Even as the election process has been``set in motion'' barely three months after Mr. Elangovan took over, the dissidents have now begun mounting pressure on the AICC(I) to ease him out of the post. The dissidents led by former TNCC(I) president, Mr. K.V. Thangabalu, are now camping in Delhi to persuade the AICC(I) to replace Mr. Elangovan immediately or elbow him out democratically through organisational polls.

The TNCC(I) president coming under fire from the AIADMK and the new-low in the ties between the two allies, has provided the impetus to the dissidents to start off the ``sack the TNCC(I) president to save the alliance''campaign.

However, sources say, there may be no immediate threat to Mr. Elangovan's leadership. But if the Congress(I) is keen on cajoling the AIADMK, it may dump him, possibly through organisational polls.

And with at least 15 of the 35 district presidents who hold the key to the election of the PCC(I) president said to be on the dissident side, the going may be tough for Mr. Elangovan in case of organisational polls.

In a counter-strategy, Mr. Elangovan has started distributing membership books to raise his stocks in the party. Besides, his supporters are also trying to convince the AICC(I) that holding organisational polls, a few months before the Assembly elections, would affect the party's preparations for the electoral bout.

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