Sivaganga: Karthi vs Durairaj vs Senthilnathan

Sivaganga, April 19: The Lok Sabha elections in this constituency is significant as Congress's

ran into controversy fielding his son Karthi in the elections.

Many believe that Chidambaram took this step fearing the impending doom of being ousted this time. However, the leader has to brace himself for harder times as Karthi's debut may not be as smooth as his father, especially when Congress is lonely here.

Chidambaram chose not to contest from Sivaganga this time giving the opposition a chance to target Congress' woes in the current election nationally. Incidentally, Chidambaram is said to have done nothing in this constituency, which is yet to get rid of its 'backward' tag.

Fighting Karthi Chidambaram are DMK's Durairaj and P.R. Senthilnathan.

[See: Top Contest of 2014]

2009 results: P Chidambaram won 334,348 votes and close behind was Raja Kannappan R.S. from AIADMK with 330,994 votes. Karthi is a debutant.

About Karthi Chidambaram:

Son of Finance Minister P Chidambaram, he is a member of All India Congress Committee, Vice President of All India Tennis Association, and President of Tenpin Bowling Federation of India. He has studies business in the University of Texas, Austin, and a Masters in Law from University of Cambridge.

He has inherited the political legacy of his father who has served as the finance minister May 2004 to November 2008. After Shivraj Patil resigned as the Home Minister after the Mumbai terror attacks, he was appointed as the HOme Affairs Minister. After a three and half years stint, he returned to his position of Finance minister, succeeding Pranab Mukherjee.

Chidambaram was elected from Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu in 1984, 2004 and 2009. In controversy for landing India in a financial air pocket, leading to rising commodity prices, Chidambaram is also criticised for his role as Home Minister when he could not prevent the 2011 Mumbai bombings, just 3 years after the Mumbai attacks.

About S P Durairaj:

A general council member of DMK, S.P. Durairaj is a veteran party leader. He had represented Karaikudi in the Tamil Nadu assembly from 1984-88 and is fighting the Lok Sabha for the first time from Sivaganga.

Hailing from Velankudi near Karaikudi, Durairaj served as the district council member, Karaikudi Housing Building Society, and director of Cooperative Milk Supply Society.

P.R. Senthilnathan:

A debutant in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is the Devakottai Union Chairman and party's district secretary. He has been with the party since 1988. He has served as the district secretary of Amma Peravai between 2007 and 2013, as the district secretary on April 1, 2013, and chairman of Tamil Nadu Backward Classes and Economic Development Corporation Limited on June 20, 2013. He began his political career as the Nagadi branch secretary in 1992.

Analysis:Being a debutant in the Lok Sabha election 2014, Karthi may have a fair chance of winning (considering his father's legacy).

But there are high chances of him losing, given that the other contestants have a strong political background. Popular choice of a change from the Congress dynasty may also lead to his failure.

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