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Isolated politically in Tamil Nadu, Congress is making all out efforts to energise its cadres ahead of the April 24 electoral fight for 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
An air of despair has been pervading the Congress house with top guns like Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan and others opting out of the contest in an atmosphere that presents bleak poll prospects in the wake of DMK refusing to revive poll truck with the party.
Against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi's call for encouraging youngsters, Chidambaram has pulled out of the contest from his traditional fort Sivaganga, where he managed to get a ticket for his 42-year-old son Karti.
Even as three weeks have elapsed after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule for the LS polls, the lacklustre scene sweeping the Congress is yet to pave way for activities.
Congress leaders and its workers fear the party might witness a repeat of the 1996 rout when it fought the election alone and drew a blank.
The announcement of candidates for 30 seats, which has names like Manishankar Aiyar, Kumaramangalam and Karti Chidambaram seemed to have failed to enthuse the morale of Congress cadres.
However, seeking to galvanise the party for the electoral battle, state unit President Gnandesikan said star campaigners of Congress, its chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi would undertake electioneering in the state.
