Cong. beset by rebellion in South TN over tickets

Madurai, Apr 11 (UNI) Discontent is building up every passing day over candidate selection by the Congress for the May 8 Assembly poll with those denied tickets planning to contest as independents in south Tamil Nadu.

Protests are being held in Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Dindigul districts to press the party high command to immediately effect a change. Posters highly critical of the selection process have appeared in many places.

Congress workers and supporters of INTUC leader K S Govindarajan observed a fast here to press the party high command to nominate him for the Madurai West constituency replacing the official candidate Perumal, a practising lawyer and vice-president of the district unit. Around 250 people, including 50 women participated in the fast.

Mr Govindarajan warned that over 12.5 lakh votes of the trade union would be lost if the plea to change the official nominee went unheeded. The INTUC should be given the Madurai West or any other constituency to contest the elections, he demanded.

Such rebellion is not confined to Madurai alone. In adjoining Sivaganga, allotted to the CPI, dejected Congressmen including former MP, Udayappan and Sivaganga Panchayat Union President, are preparing to enter the fray as independents.

Similar protests were witnessed in Ramanathapuram also.

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