The Youth Congress cannot decide on alliances as a decision on such matters will have to be taken by the Congress high command, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here on Thursday. Mr. Gandhi said this in response to Youth Congress members' call to end the alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK), at a meeting he had with them on St. Joseph's School grounds here. Youth Congress office-bearers in the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in the western region including Karur, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris and Tirupur took part in the meeting.
Youth Congress presidents in Karur and Salem Parliamentary constituencies J. Ramesh Kumar and R. Vijayavarman and general secretary in Udumalpet Assembly constituency L. Prashant Kumar told reporters that a request in writing on severing ties with the DMK was handed over to Mr. Gandhi. “We are of the opinion that the DMK Government did not take many of the welfare schemes initiated by the Central Government to the people effectively,” Mr. Vijayavarman alleged.
Mr. Gandhi called for 50 per cent representation for women in the Youth Congress.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V. Thangkabalu accompanied Mr. Gandhi to Tirupur from Tirunvelveli.
Tirupur Deputy Mayor Senthil Kumar, former State president of the Youth Congress Mayur S. Jayakumar and Thondamuthur (Coimbatore District) MLA M.N. Kandaswamy received him at the helipad in Tirupur. Former Union Minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan was present when Mr. Gandhi took off from Tirupur to attend another meeting in Tiruchi.
