: Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee today described the launch of a movement by senior Congress leader and MP Kannan as of no importance and said it was nothing surprising or unexpected.
Kannan floated a non political outfit 'Makkal Munnetra Iyakkam' (People's Progressive Movement) with the aim of championing the cause of the poor, unemployed youth and poorer sections.
PCC president A V Subramanian told PTI that the move would not impact the Congress. The movement might ultimately culminate in the formation of a new political party by Kannan.
"Congress will be largely relieved if Kannan steps out of Congress as he appears to be planning so after his current Rajya Sabha membership ends in September", he said.
Subramanian recalled that Kannan had not worked for the party in the April 2014 Lok Sabha poll and had also been distancing himself from all activities of the Congress.
(The Congress nominee and the then Central Minister V Narayanasamy was defeated in the parliamentary poll by the ruling AINRC candidate R Radhakrishnan).
"We have already complained to AICC and the high command has also sought explanation from Kannan', he said, adding that Kannan would however remain in Congress till September and no action would be taken against him by the high command.
Subramanian said that none from the Congress would cross over and join the Kannan sponsored movement.
Everyone knows Kannan had quite often quit Congress and floated new parties, including Puducherry Makkal Congress and Puducherry Munnetra Congress in the past and returned to the Congress within years of forming new outfits, he said.
Nothing would happen to the congress by such developments in Puducherry, the PCC leader said.
