Congress to focus on winnability while choosing candidates

The Congress has secured 41 seats in the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, but would find the going hard in many of the constituencies where its candidates take on the ruling AIADMK. The national party will face a stiff challenge in at least 21 constituencies, admits a senior state leader who does not want to be named.

So the Congress screening committee led by AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad will have its task cut to choose winnable candidates even as it seeks to do a neat balancing act to ensure that various factions are accommodated. The party's hopes ride on a perceived anti-incumbency sentiment.

Sources said there would be jockeying for seats in Delhi over the next few days. Sons and loyalists of senior leaders are aspirants for tickets, but it is understood that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi wants the winnabililty factor to be the main yardstick.

It is understood that Karti, son of senior leader P Chidambaram, is not contesting. But among the aspirants is the par ty's south Chennai district chief `Karate' Thiagarajan who is believed to have the backing of Chidambaram. Thiagarajan intends to contest from Mylapore in the city, but faces internal competition from Kartik, son of former TNCC chief K V Thangkabalu. Congress spokesperson Khushbu categorically told TOI that she has not applied for a ticket or spoken to anybody in the party . “It is all speculation by a section of Tamil media,“ she said when asked if she was interested in making a bid for the Mylapore assembly seat. Other prospective candidates are Ra machander, son of S Tirunavukkarasar, from Aranthangi and Jaisimha, son of former Union minis ter Sudarsana Natchi appan, party sources said.

According to political analyst M Kasinathan, Thirtutanni, Arkaad, Sriperumbudur (reserved), Hosur and Cheyyur in the northern belt, Kovai (south) and Kangayam in the western region, Nannilam, Paapanasham, Aranthangi, and Pattukottai in central TN and Colachel, Vilavancode and Killiyur in the south will be reasonably good bets for the Congress.