Tamil Nadu Congress chief K V Thangkabalu, facing flak for his choice of candidates for the April 13 Assembly polls, has filed nomination as a substitute candidate from Mylapore seat in Chennai.
His wife Jayanthy Thangkabalu is the party nominee from the seat.
“I am a substitute candidate. Ms. Jayanthy is the official candidate announced by the Congress High Command,” he told PTI.
On opposition to his wife’s candidature as well as protests against him by different factions in the party over choice of candidates, he said persons opposed to him are resorting to such steps.
Referring to the controversy surrounding Krishnagiri candidate Maqbool Jan not filing his nomination on the last day on Saturday, he said Jan could not make it on time.
Krishnagiri was one of the six constituencies to which the party high command announced a revised list of candidates.
However, Mr. Jan did not file his nomination on Saturday and Hazeena Syed, the earlier choice, filed her nominations.
On Ms. Syed going ahead with her nominations, he said the high command will take the final call on the matter.
Stating rebel candidates had filed nominations in some constituencies, he asked them to withdraw their nominations and work for victory of candidates chosen by the high command.
Dissent had been brewing in the state Congress unit, contesting 63 seats after hard-bargaining with the DMK, after the national party announced its candidates last week.
A virtually new face to electoral politics, Ms. Jayanthy Thangkabalu was given a ticket from Mylapore which was opposed to by a section of party workers.
Irate party workers had burned effigies of Mr. Thangkabalu and even damaged property inside the party headquarters here.
Some Youth Congress and Mahila Congress workers had also tried to barge into his residence, but were thwarted by police.
Elections to the 234-member Assembly will be held on April 13.
