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Three years after Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief B S Gnanadesikan was appointed, the Congress’ vote share in the state came down to 4.5 per cent. When asked by General Secretary Mukul Wasnik how this had happened, Gnanadesikan reportedly did not take it lightly and resigned from his post on Thursday night.
This, however, is not the complete story, says a section of Tamil Nadu Congressmen. They see in the state an implosion of the kind taking place in Kerala. In that state, at a review meeting of the party after its Lok Sabha debacle, a Congress member referred to Rahul Gandhi as a “joker”. He was thrown out. Another asked searching questions about leadership failures of the Congress. He was suspended.
According to this section, Gnanadesikan was told by the party leadership that no picture other than that of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi be shown on Congress identity cards, publicity posters, etc.
This riled traditional Congressmen, who are used to pictures of former chief minister K Kamaraj of the state as an identity. So famous was the party leader that Congress rule in the state is often called Kamaraj rule.
To replace his picture with those of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul would be a travesty, says a Congress leader.
Regardless of which version you believe, at the heart of the problem is the absence of credible leadership in the Congress. The party has been able to establish itself only with the help of a regional party, aligning with either the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK). The party is badly factionalised, with G K Vasan, son of Congress leader G K Moopanar, controlling the party. Gnandesikan was his nominee; so, the backlash hurts Vasan the most.
