MASSIVE SCOOP: No ticket for Karti Chidambaram? Tamil Nadu Congress opposes even as senior leaders lobby for him

With the Lok Sabha polls looming ever so close, Republic TV has learnt that Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) is opposing former Union Minister P. Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram getting the Sivaganga constituency in the state.

Sources have suggested that the state leadership of Congress is against Karti fighting the upcoming elections from that seat, owing to his alleged involvement in corruption cases like INX media and Aircel-Maxis.

It is reported that Karti Chidambaram has unofficially begun campaigning from Sivaganga by holding meetings with the local leaders, though, the TNCC is opposing his candidature even as senior leaders at the higher level have given him their backing. 

In this regard, TNCC chief K S Alagiri, along with his team, is holding meetings with top Congress leaders in Delhi, following which the party is expected to release its candidates list.

The upcoming Lok Sabha polls will commence on April 11, will be held in seven phases, and conclude on May 19 with the counting of votes taking place on May 23.

Tamil Nadu as a state holds the third lagest number of seats (39) in the lower house of the parliament. The election in the state will take place in a single phase, which will be held on April 18.

READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2019 | Voting Dates In Tamil Nadu: Here'S When You Can Vote In Tamil Nadu For Each Constituency And Phase

Karti Chidambaram and his father P Chidambaram are two of the 12 named as accused in the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the Aircel-Maxis case.

The Aircel-Maxis case, which arose from the 2G spectrum allocation scam, pertains to FIPB clearances being given to Global Communication Holding Services Limited for investment in Aircel during the time that P Chidambaram was Finance Minister. 

The CBI is probing how P Chidambaram, who was the Union finance minister in 2006, granted FIPB approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it.

The ED had earlier said that the FIPB approval granted in 2006 by Chidambaram was beyond his mandate as he was only authorised to accord approval on project proposals up to Rs 600 crore.

(With inputs from PTI)