Erode (East) MLA E.V.K.S. Elangovan addressing media persons in Erode on Friday, June 14, 2024
| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M
All Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu are united in their efforts to strengthen the party, said senior Congress leader and Erode (East) MLA E.V.K.S. Elangovan.
Mr. Elangovan, who was speaking to journalists in Erode on Friday, June 14, 2024, said that Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president (TNCC) K. Selvaperunthagai had uttered a few lines by mistake, and had later clarified that the Congress would continue in the DMK alliance to defeat its common enemy, the BJP.
The MLA’s clarification comes after Mr. Selvaperunthagai’s told the party’s cadre that they have to work towards re-capturing power in the State, which the Congress lost in the historic 1967 assembly election when the DMK rode to power. “Today, we are forced to settle for a meagre number of seats with our senior alliance partner. It is time to aspire for more,” Mr. Selvaperunthagai had said.
Mr. Elangovan further said that Mr. Selvaperunthagai had himself clarified that his remarks and had said that he had been misunderstood.
A former Congress MP P. Viswanathan, had said at the party’s recently-held general council meeting that the alliance with the DMK should be formed only for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and not for local and urban body elections. “His remarks evoked stiff opposition among party cadre as only during those elections, can real Congress cadre get a chance to contest and win,” he said.
At the meeting, Mr. Selvaperunthagai had asked how long the party would be dependent on allies and called for forming [former CM] Kamarajar’s rule. Mr. Elangovan said, that has had stated at the meeting that the party should not be greedy and had added that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was behind the victory of all Congress MPs.
“Some problems will happen with alliance partners. This is a common occurrence. But we cannot ignore the strategies required to win. Our focus should be to win. Hence, in the local body election, the Congress will continue its alliance with DMK,” he said.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was the leader for the entire State and the DMK-Congress alliance would continue to strengthen both parties, he pointed out.
When asked about remarks that he was loyal to the DMK only because the party had allegedly spent a lot of money to help him win the by-election to Erode (East) Assembly constituency in 2023, Mr. Elangovan said that Mr. Stalin had, like former CM Kamarajar before him, introduced many schemes such as the breakfast scheme for school students. “Whoever gives the best rule in the State is Kamarajar’s rule and there is nothing wrong in appreciating Mr. Stalin as the scheme was introduced despite the huge financial crisis (in the State),” he said.
On the NDA government at the Centre, Mr. Elangovan said he believed it would fall in five months, not only because the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (United) would withdraw their support, but also because of internal disputes among BJP party leaders. He condemned Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged reprimand given to former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on stage and said this conservation should have been conducted in private.
