B. Manickam Tagore appointed Tamil Nadu Congress chief

The Congress party appointed three-time Lok Sabha MP B. Manickam Tagore as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) on Saturday, June 27, 2026. He replaces K. Selvaperunthagai, who had held the position since February 2024, in a significant leadership change that signals a strategic reset for the party in the state.

Tagore, 51, is a Congress whip in the Lok Sabha and currently serves as the All India Congress Committee in-charge for Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The appointment, approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, takes immediate effect.

The change follows the Congress party's recent break with its longtime ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and its subsequent post-election alliance with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. Party sources indicated a section of leaders had expressed dissatisfaction with Selvaperunthagai's leadership, which was seen as favoring a continued alliance with the DMK.

In contrast, Tagore had been one of the earliest and most vocal advocates for a political realignment with the TVK ahead of the recent state assembly elections. He had also...