A meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress women’s wing at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai witnessed a clash on Sunday after the party announced a leadership arrangement following the resignation of Hasina Saiyad.
According to the report, Hasina stepped down from the post of state women’s wing president after she was not given an opportunity to contest in the elections. Subsequently, Ramalakshmi was appointed as the in-charge president to oversee Assembly election-related work.
The appointment was announced at the executive committee meeting chaired by All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, attended by district-level women’s wing heads and All India office-bearers. Several district leaders objected, saying the decision was taken unilaterally without consulting them.
The argument escalated into a scuffle, with chairs reportedly being thrown, creating tension at the venue. Alka Lamba later warned that Ramalakshmi would continue as state in-charge and that action would be taken against district leaders if they did not accept the decision, after which the protesting members left.
Some women’s wing functionaries said the dispute was linked to dissatisfaction over ticket allocation, claiming that despite a resolution seeking 33% reservation for women, only two women were fielded in 28 constituencies. They also alleged that Hasina was removed by Alka Lamba on charges of anti-party activities, triggering a confrontation by her supporters.
