This Article is From Mar 23, 2019

In Congress's Tamil Nadu List, No Name Yet For P Chidambaram's Stronghold

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Sivaganga is seen as the stronghold of former minister P Chidambaram. This is the seat from where his son, Karti, unsuccessfully fought in the 2014 election.

In Congress's Tamil Nadu List, No Name Yet For P Chidambaram's Stronghold

Lok Sabha Elections: P Chidambaram's son Karti unsuccessfully fought from Sivaganga in the 2014 polls.

Chennai:

The Congress has announced candidates for eight of the nine seats in Tamil Nadu for the national election but the obvious miss in the list was it candidate from the Sivaganga constituency in southern Tamil Nadu.

Sivaganga is seen as the stronghold of former minister P Chidambaram. This is the seat from where his son, Karti, unsuccessfully fought in the 2014 election.

Sources indicate the party has a rethink on Karti Chidambaram and is likely to announce the candidate today. The candidate would take on BJP's firebrand H Raja.

In the 2009 and 2004 elections. P Chidambaram represented the constituency.

For the other seats, the Congress has largely fielded veterans. Sitting legislator H Vasanthakumar, who was recently appointed as one of the Working Presidents of the Tamil Nadu Congress, would contest from Kanniyakumari to take on Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan from the BJP.

Former state Congress chief EVKS Elangovan would fight from Theni, taking on Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's son OP Ravindranath from the AIADMK and Thangatamilselvan from the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam.

Haroon, a former lawmaker and Congress leader, did not seek want to contest the election on health grounds, sources said.

The other candidates are: K Jayakumar (Tiruvallur), A Chellakumar (Krishnagiri), Manickam Tagore (Virudhunagar), Thirunavukarasar (Trichy), Dr Vishnuprasad's (Arani). Jothimani, a first-timer will take on the AIADMK's Thambidurai in Karur.

The Congress is part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin, chief of the DMK, had termed Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the opposition's best bet for the prime ministerial post.

The alliance has six other parties, including the Left, in its fold.

In the 2014 polls, both the parties which fought separately and drew a blank . However, in 2004, the alliance, which also then had the regional party Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in its fold, had won all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.

The ruling AIADMK, which suffered a split after the removal of jailed former AIADMK chief VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran has roped in the PMK, the BJP, and four other parties.

Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats and will vote on April 18.

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