Vasan quits Congress, forms new party

The Congress in Tamil Nadu suffered its second vertical split in two decades with former Union shipping minister G.K. Vasan on Monday floating a new party.

The party name and flag will be made public at the general council meeting of the new outfir to be held in Tiruchy soon, Mr Vasan said.

He announced the party launch, flanked by other party seniors B.S. Gnanadesikan, S.R. Balasubramonian, Peter

Mr Vasan’s father and veteran Congress leader G.K. Moopanar had first split TNCC by floating Tamil Manila Congress in 1996. It merged with the Congress in 2002.

Mr Vasan said that the goal of his new party whose name has still not been decided will be to establish Kamaraj rule in the state.

Alphonse and C. Gnanasekaran and thousands of supporters who had put up a huge hoarding at the function venue bearing images of the same Kamarajar and Moopanar.

Hours later, the AICC announced Vasan’s expulsion for airing antiparty views.

Asked repeatedly to state one reason that had triggered the split, an evasive Mr Vasan, whose father and veteran Congress leader G.K. Moopanar had first split TNCC by floating Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) in 1996 and which he merged with the Congress in 2002, said they were not satisfied with the way the AICC was function- ing in achieving the goal of establishing Kamaraj rule in the state.

On parting ways with the Congress after enjoying power, the former shipping minister said, “I had all along reflected people’s problems while I was in the cabinet, but it did not bear fruition. Now I will try to do what I could not do while I was in office.”

Responding to a specific query about seeking actor Rajinikanth’s support, he said that people from all sections should come forward to support his new party.