All is not well at Sathiyamoorthi Bhavan - the Congress office in Chennai - with most senior leaders opting out of the Lok sabha polls.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's Sivaganga constituency has turned out to be the most controversial one.
The Finance Minister, who has held onto the constituency since 1984 (except for 1999) wants his son Karthi to contest from there.
Sources said that being a senior leader, Chidambaram is not for losing from the constituency with a poor margin. Anti-incumbency, lack of allies, the Congress' stand on Sri Lankan Tamils and the fishermen's issue has put the party on the back foot.
In fact, Chidambaram's victory in 2009 was challenged by the AIADMK candidate.
Chidambaram is keen on a Rajya Sabha seat, said sources. However, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have shot down the request urging Chidambaram to contest from Sivaganga.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Sudarshana Natchiappan has thrown his hat into the ring seeking a ticket from Sivaganga for his son Jaisimha putting Chidambaram in a tight spot.
Natchiappan won on a Congress ticket from Sivaganga in 1999 contesting against Chidambaram who was then with the breakaway Tamil Maanila Congress. Since then, Natchiappan has been keen on the Sivaganga seat, putting Chidambaram in a dilemma.
It's not just Chidambaram but other leaders from Tamil Nadu Congress too want to avoid the Lok Sabha.
Former Tamil Nadu Congress committee president Thangkbalu has refused to contest from his home turf Salem. Similarly, former environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan was offered Sreeperumbdur which she has not accepted.
Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan openly told reporters some days back that he wanted to concentrate on campaigning and not contest the elections.
Jayanthi, Vasan and Natchiappan are presently Rajya Sabha members. But the Congress, which has been deserted in the state, is struggling to field known faces.
"People are angry at us. All the parties are attacking us. It's embarrassing for senior leaders to lose with thin margin," said a Congress leader in Tamil Nadu.
This Lok Sabha election looks like a multi-cornered fight in Tamil Nadu which could push the Congress to a corner without a Dravidian ally.
Ahead of polls, Congress leaders want to retreat : Tamil Nadu, News - India Today