Congress would only grievously hurt itself if it treats the southern leader and aprties the same way it treats the northern satraps. Having said this, it must be admitted that the Karunanidhi-Elangovan spat has far more implications than the media and analysts have tried to portray. It is difficult to understand what prompted the tallest DMK leader to show a great affront not to garland the portrait of Periar -the grand unlce of Mr. Elangovan- at the recent Dindigul conference. Mr. Elangovan may have been sacrificed by the Congress leaders who think that it is better to outsource MPs by cultivating regional leaders paying the 'political price'prevailaing at the relevnat time of elections than to cultivate their own leaders over a period of time and thus ensuring their own strength to grow long term. Wait and watch therefore for the developments of 2006 when more elctions are due to find out whether saner politics prevails.
