Tamil Nadu polls: TNCC chief takes a swipe at Chidambaram

Chennai: Taking an apparent dig at senior party colleague P Chidambaram over his critical remarks on seat-sharing with DMK, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President E V K S Elangovan on Monday said he does not want to react to them as the former union finance minister was a 'genius'.

"He is a learned man and is a big genius. I do not want to comment on his remark," he told reporters when his reaction was sought to Chidambaram expressing dissatisfaction on the seat-sharing with DMK for the May 16 assembly elections.

Elangovan's comment is seen as a yet another reflection of the factional feud within the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee.

Chidambaram had yesterday said Congress had been allotted seats that were not needed.

"In this election, we have been allotted only 41 seats to contest. Even in those 41 seats, we have been alloted seats which are not desired by us. We have been offered seats which we do not need," Chidambaram had said in Pudukottai.

"We do not know even if they (Congress) will field candidates as per our wish or those who cannot be accepted as candidates. But, we cannot neglect (contesting polls) it just by saying we are not happy," he had said at a party meeting.