Congressmen show open dissent

Chennai, Apr 7 (UNI) After the dust settled in the AIADMK and DMK camps, it was the turn of Congressmen to show dissent openly over the candidate selection for the May 8 Assembly poll in Tamil Nadu.

Congress workers, who raised a banner of revolt, burning the effigy of AICC observer Veerappa Moily, blaming him for failing to get winnable seats from the DMK, renewed their complaints, this time over the selection of candidates.

The party high command had taken pains to give representation to all major groups in the party to avoid factional feuds, but still there was open dissent among a section of partymen. They alleged that supporters of Union Minister G K Vasan's group got the lion's share of 22 seats in the list of 48.

The Congress, which is contesting 48 seats in the company of the DMK, heading the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), has renominated 18 sitting MLAs.

For the second successive day today, supporters of those who failed to find a place in the list, staged protest demonstrations in front of Sathyamurthy Bhavan, TNCC headquarters.

If the members of the Indian Trade Union Congress and erstwhile Janata Dal staged a demonstration yesterday, protesting against the denial of representation to them, it was the turn of partymen from Sholingur in Vellore district to oppose the fielding of Arul Anbarasu, son of former MP Era Anbarasu in the constituency.

Dissent has surfaced elsewhere in the state over the renomination of seniors like S R Balasubramaniayam, K Paramalai, D Yasodha, D Sudarsanam and Kovai Thangam at the cost of youngsters. Congressmen were also upset with nomination of wards of leaders like M K Vishnu Prasad (Cheyyar), son of TNCC Chief M Krishnasamy, Arul Anbarasu (Sholingur), son of Era Anbarasu and former TNCC President Kumari Ananthan's brother H Vasantha Kumar (Nanguneri).

The recently appointed TNCC President had to face embarassing moments yesterday, when a group of partymen staged a demonstration when he was holding discussions with DMK Deputy General Secretary M K Stalin at Sathyamurthy Bhavan.

INTUC members staged a demonstration against seat denial to K S Govindarajan, INTUC Vice-President in Madurai West. His name was in the list, but removed subsequently, they said and sought intervention of Party President Sonia Gandhi, Mr Moily and Mr Krishnasamy.

Partymen had rebelled openly, both in the DMK and AIADMK camps over allocation of seats to allies and selection of candidates, forcing the leadership to change candidates in some constituencies.

The AIADMK changed candidates in as many as seven constituencies.

UNI