CHENNAI: Candidate selection within the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has hit a roadblock due to an internal faction feud and the party is waiting for the national leadership to take a final decision on the matter.
According to party sources, as the national leaders are held up with the elections in the neighbouring Kerala, the party is likely to announce the candidate list on Wednesday after discussing and finalising it with the high command.
Sources added that the delay in announcing the candidate list was due to heavy competition among party cadre to contest in the upcoming election. Of the 28 seats allocated to the TNCC, the party has managed to retain 16 of the 18 seats that it had won in the 2021 Assembly election.
In most of the seats, the sitting MLAs are likely to be renominated. There is heavy competition among aspirants for the newly-allocated 12 seats, sources said.
“Things became worse after the party’s screening committee sought the opinion of the MPs from the constituencies concerned. So, now the district secretary, state leadership and the MPs all have their own preference lists, making the process of choosing the candidate difficult,” a senior TNCC leader told TNIE.
Among the 12 new constituencies allocated to the Congress, Ponneri, Cuddalore, Kavundampalayam, Singanallur, Mayiladuthurai and Krishnagiri face heavy competition as the party has been allocated some of them after a long gap.
Meanwhile, G K M Tamil Kumaran, son of G K Mani (of the Ramadoss-led PMK), who recently joined the Congress party, is said to have sought a ticket to contest from the Pennagaram seat, which has also now become a point of contention.
“He has just joined the party. Just because his family has a political background, if he is given a seat, it would send the wrong message,” another senior TNCC leader told TNIE.