BJP springs a surprise in Assembly on Statehood issue

The principal Opposition, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was taken by surprise when BJP legislators rose to speak in favour of the private member’s resolutions tabled separately by four DMK members and an Independent member requesting the Union government to accord Statehood for Puducherry

The BJP has sprung a surprise on the concluding day of the Budget session of the Assembly on Friday by taking a more strident stand in favour of obtaining Statehood for Puducherry after the party’s local unit treaded a cautious approach on the issue since the National Democratic Alliance came to power at the Centre in 2014. 

The principal Opposition, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, was taken by surprise when BJP legislators rose to speak in favour of the private member’s resolutions tabled separately by four DMK members and an Independent member requesting the Union government to accord Statehood for Puducherry. 

According to a senior DMK leader, the party was expecting BJP to continue with its ambiguous stand on the issue and had accordingly planned a floor strategy to corner the ruling party. “We never expected the BJP to come out openly in support of the demand for Statehood in the Assembly, especially after the Central government took a stand not to alter the Union Territory’s status for now. We had come to the Assembly with a clear plan to corner the NDA governments in Puducherry and at the Centre. We were taken by surprise over the sudden shift in stand,’‘ the leader said. 

The last time a similar resolution was taken up in the Assembly, was during the previous Congress government. Then, the three nominated legislators belonging to the BJP, used to make a silent exit from the Assembly whenever a discussion on Statehood was initiated by the Congress government. The members would leave the house much before the resolutions were take up. 

Even after the party formed an alliance with the AINRC and came to power in 2021, the local leadership of the party had maintained a stand antithetical to the demand for Statehood of all the political parties and social organisations in the Union Territory. The party leaders even took an open stand that altering the Union Territory status would not be in the long-term interest of Puducherry due to its limited scope for internal revenue mobilisation. 

The Central government too had in 2019 informed in Lok Sabha its intention not to consider the demand for now. So, what made the BJP shift its stand all of a sudden? 

“It’s purely political considerations as BJP cannot remain aloof to a popular demand, especially when NDA leader and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy himself has become very vociferous in making the demand for Statehood. The party has already decided to field a candidate from Puducherry Lok Sabha seat and continuing with a negative stand on the issue will give the Opposition a beating stick. So, like the stand adopted by the respective units of BJP in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue, the Central leadership has given us the freedom to choose the course good for the party’s growth in the Union Territory,” said a leader.