The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vasan calls for joint efforts to revive Congress fortunes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vasan calls for joint efforts to revive Congress fortunes

Special Correspondent

State leaders appear on a common platform at a book release function

CHENNAI: In a rare show of unity, State Congress leaders appeared on a common platform on Sunday and vowed to jointly strive to help the party occupy the numero uno position in the State's political arena.

The leaders including Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president G.K. Vasan, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and former TNCC chiefs Tindivanam K.Ramamurthy, K.V. Thangkabalu and Kumari Ananthan, who participated in a book release function here, also stressed the need for highlighting the party's role in the struggle for Independence and in ensuring all-round development of free India.

Releasing the book, "Indian Freedom Struggle," authored by Congress veteran and film personality Muktha Srinivasan, Mr. Vasan said party president Sonia Gandhi had renominated him as TNCC chief hoping that he would certainly seek the cooperation of senior leaders to make the Congress the number one party in the State. "We will certainly take up the task in the coming days."

Plea for joint campaign

Mr. Vasan appealed to the Congress leaders and activists to jointly campaign for the party by drawing the attention of the people to the achievements of the "golden rule of Kamaraj," carrying former AICC general secretary G.K. Moopanar's slogan of "a prosperous Tamil Nadu in a strong India" and popularising the schemes of the United Progressive Alliance Government in general and the projects launched in the State in particular.

Referring to Mr. Ramamurthy's plea for making efforts during the seat-sharing talks for the coming Assembly polls to ensure that the Congress got adequate representation in the northern and western districts, Mr. Vasan said the party should represent all the regions.

Mr. Elangovan said though the TNCC would enter into alliances at the time of elections as per the Congress high command's advice, the party activists should not remain idle till then. Only if they work for the growth of the Congress can the party hold seat-sharing talks from a position of strength. He also urged the leaders to address joint meetings in the districts.

Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan said the history of the Congress and that of the freedom movement were inseparably intertwined. The partymen should reach out to the people with the message of the UPA Government's sincere efforts to end domestic violence and implement 33 per cent reservation for women in State legislatures and Parliament.

Mr. Ramamurthy said the seeds of forming the Congress were sown in Chennai in 1884. Mr. Thangkabalu urged Congressmen to draw inspiration from the dynamism of Ms. Gandhi, who had helped the party to come to power in 16 States. Mr. Ananthan and Mr. Srinivasan urged the party activists to stand united.

TNCC treasurer D. Sudarsanam and former MP Peter Alphonse also felicitated the author.

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