There has been utter chaos in Krishnagiri after Maqbool Jaan, named to replace Haseena Syed as the Congress candidate in the constituency, failed to file his nominations in time on Saturday in a move alle-gedly orchedtrated by TN-CC chief K.V. Thangkabalu to ensure that the original candidate contests the seat.
Ms Syed, a novice who started her campaign after filing her nomination on Friday, is reportedly a confidante of Mr Thangkabalu and presents a programme on his Mega TV channel, while Mr Jaan is a close aide of the TNCC president.
Outraged Congress functionaries in Krishnagiri district have saccused Mr Thangkabalu of taking decisions according to his whims and fancies and sidelining veteran party leaders in the constituency.
Abdul Nazer, a party functionary at Pazhayapettai, a predominantly Muslim area, said party men who have been the backbone of the Congress in the district have been sidelined.
Incidentally, Mr Jaan’s father Nawab Jaan was a veteran Congressman. Mr Nazer said former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former chief minister K. Kamaraj had visited Nawab Jaan’s house in Mettur in the fifties. The son too became a staunch Congress supporter and is now closely associated with Mr Thangkabalu.
Rangasamy, a senior Congress functionary, said Krishnagiri, before bifurcation, was part of Salem district and Nawab Jaan was a popular leader in those days. “In all fairness, the TNCC chief should have given Maqbool Jaan or another worthy candidate an opportunity to contest the election. All norms in selection of candidates have been thrown to the wind,” he said.
Almost all Congress workers in the constituency are of the view that by fielding a new face, the Congress has guaranteed that rival AIADMK candidate K.P. Munisamy will prevail in the April 13 election.