After a three-month long wait, S Thirunavukkarasar, the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) was appointed as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) on Wednesday.
According to reports, the Congress had shortlisted Thirunavukkarasar and former Union Minister Sudarsana Natchiappan for the top post in TNCC, before finally settling on the former.
The appointment comes three months after the resignation of the previous TNCC president EVKS Elangovan. Elangovan had resigned on June 25 after taking responsibility for the party’s poor show in the Assembly Elections held in May. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had reportedly expressed displeasure over the drubbing the party received, leading to Elangovan’s resignation.
In July, Elangovan had written a letter to Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, opposing the appointment of Thirunavukkarasar as TNCC President, claiming that he was still seen as an outsider. At the time, 39 district presidents known to be loyalists of Elangovan had also opposed the move on the grounds that Thirunavukkarasar had spent part of his political life in the BJP.
Thirunavukkarasar began his political career with the AIADMK under former chief minister MGR, and had been a member of the BJP, before finally joining the Congress.