CHENNAI: B Manickam Tagore, three-time MP from Virudhunagar and one of the more vocal Congress leaders critical of DMK despite the alliance between the two parties, has been appointed president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) with immediate effect. He replaces K Selvaperunthagai, who had sought to be relieved of the post.
Tagore’s appointment is being seen as Congress’ first step towards preparing for the forthcoming local body elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. He is expected to revamp the party organisation ahead of the elections.
Soon after the announcement, Selvaperunthagai thanked AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for accepting his resignation and congratulated Tagore on his appointment. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna, Tourism Minister Rajesh Kumar, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and several others congratulated Tagore.
Born on June 1, 1975, in Sivaganga, Tagore completed his BA LLB from Bangalore University. He entered politics in 1994 as an NSUI district general secretary and rose to become the organisation’s national vice-president in 1999. Between 2003 and 2005, he served as general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress, before becoming chairman of its Central Election Authority in 2006 and Election Commissioner of the Indian Youth Congress in 2008.
Months ahead of the Assembly election, Tagore argued that Congress should not remain merely an electoral ally of DMK but should also have a share in government. He said coalition politics would become a reality in Tamil Nadu, that the Congress deserved cabinet representation instead of being confined to seat-sharing, and that it could no longer remain the alliance’s ‘12th man’ after supporting the DMK in successive elections.
His remarks triggered friction within both the alliance and the Congress. Then TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai distanced the party from Tagore’s comments, saying only the Congress high command could decide on alliance and power-sharing matters. Reports said he submitted a report to the party leadership after DMK expressed displeasure over Tagore’s remarks.
After DMK president MK Stalin rejected the idea of power sharing as unsuitable for Tamil Nadu and alleged attempts to drive a wedge between the Congress and DMK, Tagore questioned how seeking power sharing could amount to a conspiracy. Later, remarks by AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy, particularly their perceived pro-TVK comments, further strained Congress-DMK ties.
