Lok Sakthi denies split in TN

CHENNAI, MARCH 5: General Secretary of Lok Sakthi M Raghupathy on Friday denied any split in the Tamil Nadu unit of the party, saying the...

CHENNAI, MARCH 5: General Secretary of Lok Sakthi M Raghupathy on Friday denied any split in the Tamil Nadu unit of the party, saying the president, Tamizharuvi Manian, has walked away from the party with a minor and insignificant faction.

Addressing mediapersons at the end of the State and zonal executive committee meeting, he said political ethics demanded that Manian should hand over all the party records, membership fees and other belongings. Manian was expelled because he indulged in anti-party activities, and while he chose to air his views in public, in party fora he remained silent, Raghupathy said.

The party has appointed on an ad hoc basis Salem K Rajasekhar as the State president. The State conference will be held this month in Salem while the zonal conference will be held in April at Coimbatore. Besides, party president Ramakrishna Hegde, leaders of allies like Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Union Defence Minister and Samata Party leader George Fernandes and AIADMK supremo JJayalalitha are likely to attend, Raghupathy said.

Though Karnataka Assembly elections are scheduled in November, the Patel Ministry has no "moral authority" to continue in power as it has lost the people’s trust, Raghupathy said. He further went on to demand dissolution of the Assembly and holding of elections at the earliest.