Pressure mounts on Congress high command to replace TN unit chief Selvaperunthagai

With large-scale organisational changes happening in the Congress, the party leaders in Tamil Nadu are eagerly waiting for the replacement of its state unit president K. Selvaperunthagai.

 

The cadre is facing several problems because of him, a Congress legislator said, “as primarily there is no proper coordination system in place within the party.”

 

Selvaperunthagai, who took charge as the TNCC chief in February 2024, has faced growing internal dissent. In February 2025, around 18 district presidents and two MLAs demanded his removal, citing dissatisfaction with his leadership style and decision-making. 

 

Later, these dissenters, believed to be close to former TNCC president K.S. Alagiri and MP Manickam Tagore, submitted a complaint to state in-charge Girish Chodankar and planned to escalate the issue to national leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

 

In a letter submitted in Delhi, the leaders cited his failure to engage with functionaries and alleged misuse of power in appointments. They suggested replacing him with another Dalit leader like MP Sasikanth Senthil or former MPs P. Viswanathan or K. Jayakumar.

 

The tussle was triggered after Selvaperunthagai hinted at replacing underperforming district administrators. Which angered several grassroots leaders, according to senior leaders, who felt insecure about their future within the party.

 

According to two Congress leaders, many leaders feel the party is slipping into deeper disarray under his tenure. With Lok Sabha elections over and preparations beginning for the 2026 assembly polls, there is mounting pressure on the Congress high command to replace Selvaperunthagai and infuse new energy into the Tamil Nadu unit.

India