Congress workers in Salem upset over allocation of constituency to DMK

SALEM: Congress members are upset after Salem constituency was allotted to DMK party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections .

Congress cadre said that they had worked in the district for the last five years and all the efforts which had taken by them went futile.

“Mohan Kumaramangalam, who contested for Indian National Congress (INC) from Salem constituency, got 46,477 votes in 2014 Parliamentary election,” said M Jayarathinam, a state general body member of the party.

Talking to TOI, he said instead of selecting Salem constituency, the Congress had selected Krishnagiri and Karur constituencies in the Western region in which they had obtained only 38,000 and 28,000 votes respectively.

The state functionary said the party’s former state president K V Thangkabalu was also trying for Salem constituency. Similarly, Working president Mohan Kumaramangalam was also looking for the seat.

“But we were very much surprised after this constituency has been given to the DMK,” Jayarathinam said. Though all the Congress members would work for the DMK alliance, they would not show 100% in the election work, he added.

Salem West District Congress Youth Wing President Babulal said that, the INC chiefs have done a mistake by allotting this constituency to DMK. “They should have asked about cadre’s mood before discussing with the alliance parties,” he said.