CHENNAI, Jan 29: In a show of petulance, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K V Thangabalu defied the AICC-AIADMK (Thirunavukkarasu) agreement for an alliance reached on Tuesday in New Delhi and denied the five AIADMK (T) candidates in Tamil Nadu the symbol letters of the Congress.The TNCC president refused to hand over the B-Form letters to three district secretaries of the AIADMK (T) to be passed on to the latter's candidates even as nominations for the Lok Sabha polls closed on Wednesday.
Shortly after noon, the AIADMK (T) candidates including general secretary S Thirunavukkarasu filed their nominations as Congress candidates. They waited till late in the afternoon in various parts of Tamil Nadu for the letters to reach them. As time was running out, they decided to file a second set of nomination papers -- on behalf of the MGR-ADMK, a party floated by Thirunavukkarasu in 1992, after his expulsion from the AIADMK by Jayalalitha.
The AIADMK (T) leaders are understood to have agreed to contestthe five seats on the Hand symbol of the Congress. This was part of the understanding reached in Delhi. However, they were shocked on learning of the TNCC chief's reluctance to part with the symbol letters, despite a fax message received from the AICC asking Thangabalu to hand over the letters to the rebel AIADMK leaders.
With Thangabalu refusing to part with the symbol leaders on the plea that he was not aware of the Delhi announcement, the AIADMK(T) leaders now feel that their nominations as Congress candidates may not be accepted, and that they will probably be in the fray only as MGR-ADMK candidates. In which case they are likely to seek one of the free symbols offered by the Election Commission for their candidates.
AIADMK (T) sources are intrigued by the attitude of the TNCC chief, who seemed to be sore about the alliance though the Congress high command was very much in favour of the tie-up and had cleared it.
Sources feel the rigid stand of some persons in the TNCC was influenced by theJayalalitha-led AIADMK which feels that the presence of the rebel AIADMK could divide the MGR vote bank.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
