Lok Sabha: Why is Chidambaram shunning duties in Shivaganga?

, March 19: Congress is fighting for a stake in almost all the constituencies across the country, but a senior leader shunning his duties amid this situation of crisis is something that the party is not ready to accept.

Finance minister P Chidambaram, who has also been fielded from the Shivaganga constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, is rumored to have other plans.

Chidambaram may field his son, Karti Chidambaram, instead from the constituency. Perhaps acting in premonition of an impending failure, the leader is said to be evading the elections.

However, Congress supremos are likely to force him to contest the elections.

Congress's position in Tamil Nadu is rather questionable as it is not among the most favoured parties. In 2011 Assembly Elections, the party was part of an alliance led by the DMK and was still ousted.

DMK's walk out from alliance with Cong shows

The effect of DMK parting ways with the Congress is evident from Chidambaram's meeting in Shivaganga constituency where he has been winning constantly for the past few elections. However, this year, the luck is not in his favour. AS shown in the pic (inset), his meeting had hardly any crowd and was just a formal conglomerate of 20 people.

True that there was tight security, but it was for the minister himself. There were close to 100 policemen and 10 policemen to protect him.

2009 Polls

P Chidambaram had won 7,76,037 votes in the same constituency in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The total number of electors were 10,92,438 with a very high turn out of 71%.

Unlike Chidambaram, his son is not that popular in the state and if he is fielded, Congress will lose the one last chance to win a few seats.

A Congress leader says, "His father is a big figure in the Congress and people always refer to him as PC's son. That's one reason why people assume he is still under his father's shadows."

OneIndia News