COIMBATORE: With the AIADMK, DMK and BJP giving top posts to their cadres belonging to Kongu Vellalar Gounder community within the parties and chose them as candidates in the assembly election, Congress party functionaries claimed that the party fails to recognize and provide them a seat in the elections. They also expressed concern and said that urgent steps are needed to strengthen the organisation even for the next local election, in order to prevent further erosion of its vote bank.
While leaders belonging to the community, like DMK Western region incharge and Coimbatore South Candidate V Senthil Balaji, Information and Publicity Minister Vellakovil MP Saminathan, Housing Minister S Muthusamy, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani have been given importance AIADMK General Secretary and former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami,
Former Special Scheme implementation Minister Thondamuthur MLA SP Velumani, and Electricity Minister P Thangamani have been been given importance, functionaries said that no one from the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community has been appointed as TNCC president in the last 50 years.
Among the 28 constituencies allotted for congress by the DMK, only three constituencies have been allocated in the Kongu region districts -- two in Coimbatore (Singanallur and Kaundampalayam) and Erode East in Erode district. However, not even one of these three has been given to the Kongu Vellala Gounder community.
"While other parties in the western region give prominence to this community, Congress neglecting a large community is a matter of concern," said Ganapathi Sivakumar, State General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Congress committee.
Soon after releasing the congress candidates list for 2026 elections, Karur MP Jothimani took the issue to her social media handle and told that no one was chosen from the community. GV Naveen Kumar, councillor ward number 5 of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation and Member of Pradesh Congress Committee said,
"We are planning to approach the party high command to press for representation as not recognising the Kongu Vellalar Gounder should not be the reason behind weakening of the party in Kongu region."
Congress national spokesperson Rangarajan Mohan Kumarmangalam confirmed that there is dissatisfaction among the cadres over the non selection of Kongu Vellalar Gounder community and the party high command will soon hold talks to amicably solve the issue.
Hence, functionaries have requested Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to form a committee with All India office-bearers and provide equal representation to the community.