Manickam Tagore Replaces K Selvaperunthagai as TNCC President in Chennai

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Saturday officially appointed Virudhunagar Member of Parliament (MP) Manickam Tagore as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) in Chennai. Tagore takes over the leadership role from K Selvaperunthagai, who had recently requested AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to relieve him from the state presidency.

The leadership transition comes directly after Selvaperunthagai insisted that the national leadership allow him to step down from the post. The appointment of Tagore, a prominent parliamentarian representing Virudhunagar, signals a potential shift in the state unit's political direction given his history of independent positioning.

Tagore has previously emerged as a key Congress functionary who was responsible for the party drifting away from its alliance with the DMK. Instead of maintaining the status quo, Tagore had advocated for the party to join forces with the TVK. His opposition to the DMK is not new, as he was openly critical of the ruling state party even before the previous assembly elections.

Throughout his political tenure, Tagore has consistently demanded that the Congress party secure a share of power in the state government. This stance led to direct friction during previous political negotiations, including a notable tug of war with DMK functionaries in Madurai during crucial seat-sharing talks.

In addition to his friction with alliance partners, Tagore has also been critical of the outgoing TNCC president, Selvaperunthagai, on a couple of occasions in the past.

Tagore has also shown a willingness to take strong internal stances when disagreed. He previously resigned from his post on the party's election management and coordination committee because he was unhappy with how the candidate selection process was being handled.