Priyanka Gandhi should contest Kanyakumari bypolls: Karti Chidambaram

Amid a debate on rejuvenating the party, Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram on Tuesday proposed that Priyanka Gandhi should contest the by-elections to Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu to “fire up” the imagination of party cadres.

Karti said the “bold move” will enthuse Congress cadre and the alliance which would have a ripple effect for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

“We need a bold move. Something which will fire up the imagination of the Congress worker. Priyanka Gandhi must contest the Kanyakumari Parliamentary seat election which is likely to be announced shortly. It will be an overwhelming victory for her/party/alliance,” he tweeted on Tuesday evening.

He further added that her contesting from Kanyakumari will enthuse the cadre and the DMK-led alliance. “It will have a ripple effect for the upcoming assembly polls. It is a sure shot win and her presence in parliament will be a boost for the Congress. This will in no way hamper her Uttar Pradesh duties,” he wrote.

Bypolls to Kanyakumari have been necessitated due to the death of incumbent H Vasanthakumar in August.

The comments by Karti come weeks after the RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar lost the assembly polls. After the loss, there have been statements by Congress leaders asking the party leadership to take steps to rejuvenate the cadre by putting up a strong opposition against the Narendra Modi government.

However, his comments did not go well with many party functionaries. Mohan Kumaramangalam, Working President of Tamil Nadu Congress, said Priyanka Gandhi should contest from a seat in Uttar Pradesh.

“Couldn't disagree more. In my honest opinion, Priyanka Gandhi, when she does contest, should do so from any seat in Uttar Pradesh or from any place in the Hindi heartland. That would fire up the Congress worker in the place that needs it the most,” he wrote on Twitter.