Selvaperuthagai asks Congress leadership to relieve him from TNCC president post

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai has expressed his desire to step down from the post to the party’s national high command. He said he met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in Bengaluru on Sunday and requested him to speed up the process of appointing a new TNCC president.Selvaperunthagai told TOI that his decision was taken before the elections. “In April, I had made it clear that I would not continue as TNCC president after the polls. It is now time for me to step down,” he said. He added that post-election developments had delayed his exit. “There were several issues that needed attention after the election, including Congress seeking two cabinet berths and a Rajya Sabha seat in the TVK-led govt.

Now that those matters have largely been settled, I feel it is the right time to move on,” he said.Though he still has six to seven months left in his tenure as TNCC president, sources said he is keen on stepping down amid continuing factional differences within the state unit. Kharge has reportedly asked him to wait for a few more days before a decision is taken.Selvaperunthagai came under criticism from a section of Congress leaders, including Manickam Tagore and S Jothimani, during and after the seat-sharing negotiations for the 2026 assembly election, particularly over his handling of the alliance with DMK, whose leadership he appeared to be close with. When a section of Congress leaders wanted to ally with TVK, he was among the few who staunchly argued for continuing the alliance with DMK. Referring to the criticism, he said, “Several leaders criticised me during the election period. I will address those issues at a press conference.”