Congress appoints Manickam Tagore as Tamil Nadu unit chief

The Congress on Saturday appointed Lok Sabha MP B. Manickam Tagore as the new president of its Tamil Nadu unit, replacing K Selvaperunthagai, in a key organisational reshuffle ahead of upcoming political challenges in the state.

The appointment was announced by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal in a statement.

"Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed B. Manickam Tagore as the President of the Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," the statement said. The party also expressed appreciation for the contributions of outgoing state unit chief K Selvaperunthagai during his tenure.

Tagore, a Lok Sabha MP from Virudhunagar, currently serves as the AICC in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He is also the Congress whip in the Lok Sabha.

The leadership change comes at a significant time for the Congress in Tamil Nadu, where the party is part of the ruling alliance led by actor-politician Vijay Joseph's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Over the past year, Tagore has frequently raised concerns over the Congress being treated as a junior partner in the alliance, bringing him into the political spotlight.

A LOOK AT MANICKAM TAGORE'S POLITICAL CAREER

Born on June 1, 1975, in Sivaganga district, Tagore completed his BA LLB from Bangalore University before entering active politics through the National Students' Union of India (NSUI).

He began his political career in 1994 as the NSUI district general secretary and steadily rose through the party ranks. He became the NSUI state general secretary in 1996, national general secretary in 1997 and national vice-president in 1999. He later served as general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress between 2003 and 2005, before holding key organisational positions, including chairman of the Central Election Authority in 2006 and Election Commissioner of the Indian Youth Congress in 2008.

His appointment is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the Congress' organisational strategy in Tamil Nadu in the coming months.

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