Is Chidambaram avoiding canvassing for Dayanidhi Maran?

Former union finance minister P Chidambaram has ‘skipped’ his erstwhile cabinet colleague Dayanidhi Maran’s (DMK) Central Chennai constituency in his campaign.

P Chidambaram

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Chennai

Going by the campaign itinerary of Chidambaram, which was released by the state Congress headquarters on Saturday, Chidambaram would be campaigning in Sriperumbudur, South Chennai, Tiruvallur and North Chennai.

The glaring absence of Central Chennai in the itinerary has raised many eyebrows in the DMK and Congress camps alike, triggering speculation that the former minister might have given Central Chennai a miss to avoid criticism surrounding the Aircel-Maxis case in which both their names have been linked.

The announcement also left a few DMK insiders wondering if ties between the Chidambarams and Marans had soured? However, Congress leader’s privy to the development cleared the air around the issue and said that there was no issue in Central Chennai, which would be covered later.

Originally, Chidambaram was learnt to have planned pit stops at Alandur (Sriperumbudur), Saidapet (South Chennai) and Cheyyar (Arani), covering two DMK and a Congress candidate on Monday.

However, he made a detour and included Madhavaram (Tiruvallur) and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar (North Chennai), excluding Cheyyar. “He planned to campaign for TR Baalu and Tamilachi Thangapandian. But, later he included Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, obliging DMK district secretary Sekar Babu, who implored him to cover north Chennai. In the revised plan, Tiruvallur was also brought into owing to proximity,” a Congress leader requesting anonymity added.

Cong’s income support scheme feasible, says PC

Dismissing criticism of the ruling BJP, which called the minimum income support scheme promised by his party as an election gimmick, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said they have announced the scheme only because it is feasible. Talking to reporters after releasing the Tamil copy of the Congress manifesto in Madurai, Chidambaram reiterated that all promises made in the party manifesto would be fulfilled. “We said it only because its feasible. It is definitely feasible,” he said. When his attention was drawn to CM Edappadi K Palaniswami’s charge that the DMK-Congress alliance was unsure of its PM candidate, Chidambaram said the Congress party has never announced its PM candidate before elections.

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Is Chidambaram avoiding canvassing for Dayanidhi Maran?

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