Cong juniors turn to cricket, computers to perk up party in TN

On Thursday evening Karti convened a meeting in a city hotel, attended by representatives of many of the warring factions within the Tamil Nadu unit. “Our objective is not to start one more faction but to set the house in order. For this, there are certain basic requirements. We have formulated 10 resolutions which would be handed over to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi,” said a senior Congress leader.

The 10 suggestions include, besides computerising headquarter operations and sprucing up Sathyamurthy Bhavan, appointing “efficient and charismatic” office-bearers and cars and two-wheelers for block level secretaries and propaganda vehicles to publicise central schemes. For starters, on August 12, the Karti-led group will launch a party organ called Desiya Murasu, to match those of the DMK (Murasoli), AIADMK (Namadhu MGR) and PMK (Tamil Osai).

Meanwhile, Prasad, also a former state Youth Congress president, has conceived an unusual method to mobilise membership and tap youth power. He is conducting cricket tournaments in villages and small towns to woo the youth to the Congress. Called Project Lagaan, the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Tournament began on July 8 at the Boys’ High School, in Cheyyar, a constituency which Prasad represents.

Twenty-six matches would be played by 200 teams and 3,000 young men in eight centres with 15 overs per side. The winning team will receive the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Cup besides Rs 10,000 in cash at a function on August 20 to mark Rajiv’s birth anniversary. All attempts would be made to get Rahul Gandhi to present the cup.