Date:11/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/11/stories/2008101160461000.htm

Tamil Nadu

Era Anbarasu to mobilise Vanniyars’ support for Congress

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Former Congress MP Era Anbarasu is to launch a community forum for intellectuals on Sunday with a view to mobilising Vanniyar community’s support for the party.

In a statement here on Friday, Mr. Anbarasu said Vanniyars and Dalits were predominant in 19 Lok Sabha and 115 Assembly constituencies in North Tamil Nadu, where the Congress party had been winning considerable seats till 1996. After 1996, there was a set back to the party due to the ‘neglect of the community’ in party posts.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, no person from the community was given ticket. In the current Assembly, there were only three MLAs for the community, which was ‘inadequate’ compared to its population.

Mr. Anbarasu said he had brought this to the notice of party president Sonia Gandhi during his recent visit to Delhi.

He told her that he felt that it was his duty to get back the support of the community and also to get various demands of the community conceded.

In this connection he said he had decided to float the forum and invited Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V.Thangkabalu and Union Minister of State G.K.Vasan.