19 Congress members expelled in Tamil Nadu

View Source: Indo Asian News Service

Chennai, April 14 (IANS) A day after the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the Congress' state unit Thursday expelled 19 members, including S.Ve. Shekher, a member of the outgoing assembly, and Chennai's former deputy mayor 'Karate' R. Thiagarajan for anti-party activities. 

In a statement issued here, state unit chief K.V.Thangkabalu said the members were expelled for anti party activities and party men were advised not to have any communication relating to party matters with them.

Some of the office bearers of the party's youth wing, elected to their post in organizational election, were among those expelled.

Trouble started in the Congress when the party high command nominated Thangkabalu's wife Jayanthi as the candidate for the Mylapore seat here.

Protesting her candidature, party cadre staged demonstrations outside the party office and Thangkabalu's residence.

When Jayanthi's nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer for want of some papers, Thangkabalu, the alternate candidate, became the party's official candidate which Congressmen charged as a 'backdoor entry'.

Shekher, the sitting candidate from Mylapore constituency, won the seat as an AIADMK candidate in 2006 but was expelled from the party when he started flirting with DMK. He later joined the Congress and was the first person to send his application for the party ticket for the April 13 assembly elections.

The results will be declared May 13.