CHENNAI: A day after he offered to resign from the post of TNCC president, BS Gnanadesikan politely ripped into his party’s high command. He accused the Congress brass of stifling its regional arms and said a comeback would be difficult if the AICC continues to step on the toes of State units.
“No organisation can grow without giving priority and due consideration to the culture of a State or its leaders. If AICC does not change the way it functions, the future will be very difficult,” Gnanadesikan said at a press conference at the state headquarters on Friday.
This time round, the Congress is fighting itself over the presence of the pictures of party stalwarts K Kamaraj and GK Moopanar on the membership cards issued by State unit. At an AICC meeting on Thursday, Gnanadesikan and his party liege, GK Vasan, had opposed a directive from the high command to remove the pictures of Kamaraj and Moopanar, and carry those of party first family members Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
“In Tamil Nadu, cadre are not interested in details on a piece of paper. They generally prefer to showcase their party symbols or their leaders’ faces in their shirt pockets. Those in Delhi do not understand this. They have to understand that an all-India party can only be run on the weight of regional faces,” said Gnanadesikan.
His comments may be read as the stand being taken by the faction led by Vasan. Gnanadesikan’s resignation had itself come after a day-long meeting with Vasan.
He also complained that the high command had not taken the state leadership into confidence while discussing alliances for the recent Lok Sabha elections. He also accused the high command of being indifferent to the organisational troubles faced by the State unit caused by rampaging factionalism.
Just hours after Gnana-desikan ticked off the central leadership, State treasurer Kovai Thangam resigned from his post, issuing a statement expressing agreement with the stand taken by Vasan and Gnanadesikan.