Congress reins in TN unit

A panicky Congress has squashed all ambitions of its Tamil Nadu unit which had revolted against perpetual fealty to the DMK-led alliance and demanded a share in the central government.

Following yesterday's statement by state leader and Union Minister of State EVKS Elangovan that the Congress was tired of being a handmaiden of the DMK and wanted a share in power, party General Secretary Ambika Soni today said Elangovan's statement was unauthorised and that the Congress would go into next year's state elections as an ally of the DMK.

The DMK, meanwhile, has called a meeting of its the high-level action committee on February 27, ostensibly to discuss the "current political situation in the country" but, in fact, to review its options in the wake of Elangovan's comments. The meeting will be chaired by DMK President M Karunanidhi, party General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement here today.

The more pessimistic among the observers of Tamil Nadu are expecting that a decision to pull out from the central government might be taken at the meeting.

Elangovan also said there should be a coalition government in Tamil Nadu after the next year's Assembly elections.

Addressing a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) in Chennai yesterday, Elangovan remarked: "We are not running the party for putting others on the saddle" and that the party would strive to establish a "Congress rule" in the state.

He also said Congress workers wanted one of their own to be the next Chief Minister. This has made the high command to come down heavily on the state unit, especially as shifting allies at this stage could cause the central government to collapse, because ADMK chief and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has no MPs in the Lok Sabha.

"I want to make it categorically clear that nobody has been authorised to make any policy statement. I also deny having given any statement in this regard," Soni said when asked about reports that the DMK was upset over Elangovan's remarks and that its leaders would meet in Chennai on Sunday to discuss the "latest political situation".

With a 15 per cent vote, Congressmen in Tamil Nadu are angry at the pampering. "When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Sonia Gandhi came to Tamil Nadu, they didn't visit the Congress office "" they went to meet Karunanidhi. This is deeply demoralising for us," a worker said.

However, the Congress is clear that any destabilisation of the alliance ahead of the 2006 Assembly elections could prove costly.