Chennai, Feb 18 (Reporter) In a surprise development, the Congress high command has elevated its Legislature Party Leader K.Selvaperunthagai as the new President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. He replaces present TNCC Chief K.S. Alagiri, who assumed office in 2019 and senior party leaders said they would extend all cooperation to the new Party State chief. CLP Deputy Leader Rajesh Kumar has been made the new floor in the Assembly in place of Mr Selvaperunthagai. Though there has been rumours that there would be change of guard in the State Congress leadership, the party has been denying it. However, it pulled off a surprise by nominating Mr Selvaperunthagai to the post, with the announcement of Lok Sabha election schedule round the corner. Selvaperunthagai, a dalit leader, represents Sriperumbudur constituency in the State Legislative Assembly and shares very close rapport with the ruling DMK, which heads the Secular Progressive Alliance in the State that consists of the Congress, MDMK, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), MDMK, KMDK, TVK, MMK and others. AICC general secretary K.C.Venugopal made the announcement on late Saturday evening appointing/elevating Mr Selvaperunthagai as the new TNCC Chief, while placing on record the contributions made by Mr. Alagiri that saw Congress winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 Assembly polls, apart from the Local Body polls, with good numbers. Mr. Selvaperunthagai, who was employed with the Reserve Bank of India, was once associated with the Dr K. Krishnasamy’s dalit outfit Puthiya Tamizhagam, before joining another dalit outfit VCK, headed by Thol. Thirumavalavan. He later quit the VCK and joined the Congress and was elected to the State Legislature in the 2021 Assembly polls...////...