Amid rumblings in Tamil Nadu Congress, Khushbu calls on Rahul Gandhi at Delhi

Meeting significant after it was alleged she did not renew party membership

CHENNAI: Amid growing rumblings in Congress in Tamil Nadu, AICC spokesperson and actor Khushbu called on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi on Thursday.
The volatile political situation prevailing in the State and the functioning of the Congress State unit topped the agenda of the 15-minute meeting.

“Of course, the general political situation in Tamil Nadu and our party’s functioning came up for discussion during my meeting with our leader Rahul Gandhi,” Khushbu told Express.
The meeting assumes significance as a senior leader of the party, Karate R Thiagarajan, recently caused a flutter by shooting off a memorandum to organisational polls wing head Mullappally Ramachandran alleging that Khushbu had failed to renew her party membership during the enrolment drive. He also questioned her nomination to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) while failing to renew her primary membership. However, she did not touch the issue with Rahul Gandhi.

“I did not want to waste time of our leader,” she said. Yet, she did raise the matter with other top party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik, who is the high command in-charge of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) affairs. “I took up the issue with Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik when I met them.”

Khushbu was gradually gaining prominence in Tamil Nadu politics when she was forced to quit DMK, where she made her political debut with the blessings of party chief M Karunanidhi. She later joined the national party.

Ever since veteran leader EVKS Elangovan gave up TNCC president’s post, she has been keeping a low profile in the State party avoiding appearance in party events, Congress sources recalled.
They added if Rahul Gandhi takes over the mantle from his mother Sonia Gandhi, as is widely believed among party ranks, he may opt for a shake up in the State unit.
When asked whether a change of guard in TNCC was a point of discussion with Rahul Gandhi, Khushbu said, “He is very much aware of what is happening in the party in Tamil Nadu. He will take a call when it (change of guard) is required.”

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