Chennai: Congress leader Karti P. Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Monday filed his nomination papers to contest from Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu.
State party leaders rallied around Karti Chidambaram after former Union Minister E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, who had also sought to contest from Sivaganga, opposed his candidature.
Speaking to reporters here, state Congress chief K.S. Alagiri said one cannot say Karti Chidambaram was nominated due to some pressure as the party’s leadership cannot be pressurised.
He said all those who are dissatisfied with the party’s decision can voice their views in a decent manner and can also convey them to the party high command.
Upset at not being nominated for the seat, Natchiappan told reporters that the people do not like the Chidambarams as they have not done anything for the Sivaganga constituency.
He also alleged that P. Chidambaram had scuttled any party post being given to him after Natchiappan had defeated him in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.
In 1999 elections, Natchiappan, the Congress candidate, defeated P. Chidambaram who had contested on behalf of the Tamil Maanila Congress.
However, the elder Chidambaram won from Sivaganga in 2004 and 2009 as the Congress candidate.
In 2014 elections, Karti Chidambaram lost to the AIADMK’s P.R. Senthilnathan.
Meanwhile a special court in New Delhi on Monday extended, till April 26, the interim protection from arrest for the Chidambarams in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
This is the third time in a month that the court has extended the protection.
The court had issued a similar order February 18, extending the protection till March 8 which was later extended till March 25.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are probing how Karti Chidambaram got clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006 when his father was the Union Finance Minister.
The ED October 25, 2018, had filed a chargesheet naming him and a few others in the case.
Last July, the CBI had filed another chargesheet against 18 persons.
IANS