AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Nivedith Alva meets TNCC office bearers

All India Congress Committee in charge of Tamil Nadu, Nivedith Alva, on Wednesday, met with heads of frontal organisations and other departments of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee at Sathyamurthy Bhavan.

Sources in TNCC said that several of them, including SC Department head Ranjan Kumar, Hazeena Syed, president, Tamil Nadu Mahila Congress and others, expressed that it is time for the party to look beyond those who have been given repeated opportunities in assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections.

“It was mostly an opportunity to meet him one -on-one. I explained to Mr. Alva about the work I have done for the last 30 years. I expressed my concern about need to focus on reclaiming the OBC and Dalit votes and need to cultivate second line leadership. We need to give opportunities to new comers instead old timers who are repeatedly given opportunities,” said the source.

Further more, a senior leader said that efforts are on to appoint district presidents across Tamil Nadu, without the famed ‘quota system’.

“The Tamil Nadu Congress leaders, including the TNCC president, will have little to no say about who gets appointed as the District Congress Committee president, as the work has been taken over by another committee that will recommend a panel of names. The final call will be taken by the Congress High Command,” he said.

Anand Srinivasan, chairperson, Tamil Nadu Media and Communications Department, who also met Mr. Alva, said, “We have launched a national talent hunt and we have already received applications from 250 people. “

The party also organised a seminar on ‘Save the Constitution’ at Sathyamurthy Bhavan on Wednesday to observe Constitution Day.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said, “Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar said that the Constitution has the strength to withstand adversity, but those who use it must be fair. The articles 200 and 201 are concerned with State-Centre relations. Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar has clarified that…if a State government passes a law through its legislature and is approved by the Council of Ministers…and sends it to the Governor, the Governor cannot reject it but only seek clarification. Yet, we have seen laws passed in the Assembly such as seeking an exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu, which the Governor did not give assent for.”