Overview
- B. Manickam Tagore assumed the presidency of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and called for an ambitious target of winning all Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to back Rahul Gandhi’s bid for prime minister in 2029.
- Tagore framed specific state demands—abolition of NEET, protection of Cauvery water rights, fishermen’s safety, fair tax devolution, and central financial support—as reasons voters should back a national Congress leader.
- He credited outgoing chief K. Selvaperunthagai with building party infrastructure, noting the formation of about 17,654 ward or grama committees and distribution of roughly 164,000 ID cards with QR codes.
- Tagore warned he would 'hit back' at DMK leaders who attack the Congress while saying he has no personal dispute with DMK president M. K. Stalin, signaling a firmer public stance in inter-party relations.
- The new leadership asks ministers to meet cadres regularly and aims to convert local organisation into votes, a strategy that could reshape alliances in a state where regional parties currently dominate.