JOIN USIt's a summer of discontent in the faction-ridden Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) as the party state unit grapples with the challenge of placating cadre who are protesting the domination and interference of senior leaders in nomination of candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Heated arguments over several issues, including accusing party high command for giving seats to those recommended by senior leaders, has become a routine.
The Congress has released the first list of contestants from Tamil Nadu containing the wards of notable party leaders. However, supporters of aspiring candidate for Chidambaram seat, Maniratnam, staged a protest at the Congress headquarters here, criticising the selection of P Vallalperumal.
They also raised slogans against Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, suspecting that he had helped his supporter to get the ticket, but were later pacified by TNCC president B S Gnanadesikan.
In addition, they also allege that some senior members had helped their relatives and friends to get tickets instead of giving seats to senior party members.
Another section of Congress cadres also protested against sitting MP M Krishnaswamy, who let his son M K Vishnu Prasad to contest from Arani constituency. Congress stalwarts, including Chidambaram and G K Vasan, have opted out of the race as 30 party nominees, including six sitting MPs have been renominated.
Youth Congress functionaries are pitted against aspirants from other party wings in certain seats for tickets. For instance, R N Amirtha Raja, Nagapattinam (Reserved) Youth Congress president who has bagged party awards for best performance, is witnessing stiff resistance from Senthil Pandian, a Vasan follower.
Vijaya Ilanchezhian is another Youth Congress functionary who is fighting it out to get the Vellore seat. Jothimani, a prominent woman youth Congress cadre, now in Mahila Congress, is fighting for Karur seat.