Chennai: Though Congress has not yet clinched an alliance with any major party in Tamil Nadu for the coming Lok Sabha polls and despite a perceptible silence in the party camp, supporters of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram have begun election work in Sivaganga Parliamentary constituency in the state.
Apart from several preparatory meetings of party workers, Chidambaram is set to address workers on February 8 and 9 in his constituency. As many as 1604 booth committees have been formed.
Campaign material in the form of a seven-series book titled "P Chidambaram Sivagangayil Aatriya Panigalum Sathanaigalum," [Work and achievements of P Chidambaram in Sivaganga] is ready waiting for an approval from the Minister.
"All preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha election is going on in right earnest in Sivaganga," Karthi P Chidambaram, AICC member and son of the Union Mnister told PTI.
While six books speak of work in each of the Assembly constituency (Sivaganga, Karaikudi, Thirupathur, Thirumayam, Manamadurai and Alangudi) in Sivaganga Parliamentary Constituency another is devoted to work in the Parliamentary constituency as a whole.
The publicity material speak of how Chidambaram brought "more than 120 branches" of leading nationalised banks to semi-urban and rural areas in his constituency.
Educational loans from banks "benefitting over 30,000 students," setting up of Tamil Nadu`s first Spices Park at Muthupatti and BHEL`s power plant piping unit in Thirumayam were among the achievements the campaign material boasts off.
On speculation in a section of the media that Chidambaram might "switch to some other constituency or opt for a Rajya Sabha seat later from some other Congress-ruled state," a close confidant of the Minister, requesting anonymity, dismissed the claim as "without logic."
"He has won seven [1984, 89,91,96,98,2004 and 2009] Lok Sabha elections in a row from Sivaganga barring the 1999 polls. He enjoys huge credibility," he said and wondered why Chidambaram should opt out.
"Why should we then start poll work on the field? he asked.
