Former Congress leader GK Vasan has unveiled the flag of the new breakaway political party he is launching.
Former Union Minister GK Vasan, who broke away from the Congress to launch his own party after the Lok Sabha debacle, has unveiled his new outfit's flag in Chennai. He is however yet to reveal the name of his new party, which is set to take place at a rally in Tiruchirapalli on Friday.
Retaining the tri-coloured background motif, the new party's flag carries pictures of Congress stalwart and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Kamaraj and Vasan's late father, G K Moopanar.
"We would announce the name of the party on Friday at a public meeting in Trichy. We've registered the name with the Election Commission," said Vasan, after unveiling the flag.
Vasan had quit the faction-ridden state unit of the Congress Party recently, alleging indifference, lack of quick decisions and recognition for committed leaders by the party high command.
The flash point many said was when the congress leadership allegedly did not allow then Vasan-dominated state unit to print pictures of Moopanar and Kamaraj on its membership cards. The Congress leadership has however denied this.
in 1996, Vasan's father Moopanar had quit the Congress over the high command's decision to form an alliance with the AIADMK. He had broken away to form a new party called the Tamil Maanila Congress and allied with the DMK to win both the general elections to both the Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
Vasan's new party comes ahead of the 2016 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa stands convicted and disqualified from contesting the polls. Her arch rival, the DMK, too is facing corruption charges.