Chennai: With speculation that senior leader S. Thirunavukarasar is emerging as the frontrunner to succeed E.V.K.S. Elangovan as TNCC chief, more than 30 district presidents of the party have written to the high command against such a move terming the former AIADMK leader “untrustworthy” and “undeserving”.

Signed by 35 district presidents of the Congress in Tamil Nadu, the letter sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi says reports about Mr Thirunavukarasu, a former BJP and AIADMK leader, “baffles us” as his appointment as TNCC chief would betray the ideals for which late K. Kamaraj stood for. “It will be an act of betrayal towards Kamaraj, if the leadership of the Congress is entrusted to a person who has always placed his self interest above everything and who cut his political teeth in Dravidian culture and spent part of his political life with BJP and who has never exhibited his loyalty to any party or leader,” the district leaders said.

The letter comes amid intense speculation that Mr Thirunavukarasar, currently AICC secretary, could be the new TNCC chief. Mr Elangovan, who had quit as TNCC chief in mid-June, is also understood to have voiced his protest against appointing Mr Thirunavukarasar.