Blaming Congress’ state leadership for its rout in the April 24 Lok Sabha polls, a section of party members, including losing candidates like Karti P Chidambaram and K.S. Alagiri, on Thursday sought the resignation of TNCC president B.S. Gnanadesikan.
In a joint statement issued by a cross-section of members of TNCC state Executive like Karti Chidambaram, Mr. Alagiri, deputy leaders, district secretaries and others, they alleged that the party was handed down ‘an unexpected defeat’, with its vote share dropping to a mere 4.31 per cent and charged the state leadership with “not functioning properly.”
They levelled a series of allegations against Mr. Gnanadesikan, including not going for election campaign, not convening meetings of Executive and General Council to plan strategies and that he did not “coordinate with state Congress leaders.”
They said no proper help was given to even candidates fielded in the polls and Mr. Gnanadesikan had thus failed to discharge his duties as state president.
“The state President is responsible for the defeat. For Congress to gain foothold once again in the state, party workers are expecting a vibrant leadership. Therefore, taking full responsibility for the defeat, B.S. Gnanadesikan should quit as TNCC president,” the statement, signed by former MP Vallalperumal, South Chennai District Secretary ‘Karate’ R Thiagarajan and Executive Member RS Senthil Kumar said.
When contacted, Mr. Gnanadesikan declined to respond to the allegations or the demand for his resignation.
After being left alone in the poll race with DMK snapping ties with it last year over the emotive Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Congress tried its luck from all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, only to lose badly in all of them. Their sitting MPs even lost their deposit.
