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A missive and message to G.K. Vasan
By V. Jayanth
CHENNAI, Jan.1 After the loaded New Year message from the TNCC president, Mr. E. V. K. S. Elangovan, inviting Tamil Maanila Congress leaders to work for a merger, the onus is on the TMC leadership to chalk out its future course of action.
Till now, the merger moves were put on the back burner and TMC functionaries were reluctant to discuss it in the open. But all that has changed with Mr. Elangovan's open letter to 3,000-odd functionaries of the TMC, which was formed after a split in the Congress in 1996.
The TNCC chief has written personally to all, from the TMC president, Mr. G.K. Vasan, to party legislators, office- bearers and district functionaries. So they feel emboldened to discuss it in the open now. It is quite likely that this issue will come up for discussion at the next executive, which should also take a decision on the TMC stance in the by-elections in three Assembly constituencies.
More than anything else, Mr. Elangovan's letter has provided an opening to the pro-merger elements in the TMC. Instead of talking in the air or merely indulging in rhetoric, they have a concrete suggestion and an open invitation now from the State Congress.
`No option other than merger'
Some of the party functionaries, when contacted, said they would wait for Mr. Vasan's response before making the next move. ``We hope good sense will prevail and our leader will see the writing on the wall. He needs to listen to the right people before giving a direction to the party. The next few weeks will be critical'', says a former MP, who is now convinced that there is no better option than merging with the `parent body'.
Recent developments in State politics and the ``treatment meted out to the allies by the ruling AIADMK'' should be a ``turning point'' for the TMC, he believes. The problem may be complicated if Mr. Vasan remains indecisive and keeps putting off a firm decision on this crucial issue.
Party seniors say the way the AIADMK has handled the Rajya Sabha by-election-arising out of the death of G.K. Moopanar -has left a bad taste in the mouth. Before the TMC could make an approach, the AIADMK leader, Ms. Jayalalithaa, stunned the ally with an announcement of the party candidate. ``Even if she did not want to give us the seat, she could have shown the basic courtesy to our new leader. She has not found the time to see him, but others in the party have been in touch'', regrets a TMC legislator.
The feeling in the party is that the time has come to take a bold decision. The Congress and its State chief have in recent months been making all the right noises and have created the right atmosphere for the ``coming together of former Congressmen''. With the Puducherry Makkal Congress and the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress ready to formally merge with the Congress, at least some TMC functionaries want the party to take the lead instead of being left behind.
According to one of the senior leaders, the ``attitude and approach of the Congress deserve to be commended''. The AICC has shown an ``extraordinary sense of accommodation and patience in dealing with the TMC, particularly on the Trust issue''. Apparently, there are too many problems with the Trust, especially its finances.
Having made the first move, the TNCC is now waiting for the pro-merger group in the TMC to nudge the leadership. ``Anything can be discussed and sorted out. That is why our president has made it clear that Mr. Vasan has a bright future in the Congress'', says a senior TNCC office-bearer. Time is running out, and so too the patience of the AICC, he feels. There is also the threat of poaching by the AIADMK.
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