Puducherry CM Rangasamy kicks off poll campaign, highlights crisis in INDIA bloc

Puducherry CM Rangasamy launches his campaign, criticizing the INDIA bloc's internal conflicts ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections.

Referring to differences among various parties of the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing for the April 9 Assembly polls in Puducherry, Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy said that the governance of the Union Territory (UT) cannot be entrusted to parties that cannot even work together to decide which seats to contest.

“The voters are witness to the discord within the INDIA bloc on seat-sharing. They are fighting each other in several constituencies and still call themselves a ‘bloc’. Governance of the UT cannot be left to such political parties,” he said, while launching his campaign from the Thattanchavady constituency, where he is seeking re-election for the sixth time. 

Mr. Rangasamy, who heads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the UT, is contesting against Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and chief of the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee V. Vaithilingam. 

Without naming Mr. Vaithilingam, the Chief Minister said the personal ambition of certain people has led to the “breakup of the INDIA bloc.” “Two years ago, the people of Puducherry elected a person to the Lok Sabha. The MP’s position is one of responsibility. When he has three more years left to serve the people in his capacity as MP, this person has come forth to fight the Assembly elections. To avoid competition from within his party and alliance, he has denied the seat to a colleague (referring to former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy), creating a crisis in the bloc,” he said.

Recalling a statement issued by CPI leader A.M. Saleem against the Congress following the collapse of seat-sharing in the INDIA bloc, the Chief Minister said: “Dirty politics was played by a person. It amounts to cheating the voters of the previous Lok Sabha polls. It was surprising to notice that the person, who occupied the party president’s post, had himself created confusion in that party. He has cheated his colleague, and also his alliance partners.” 

Urging the voters to compare the tenure of the previous Congress government with that of the NDA, the Chief Minister said that most of the promises made to the voters during the 2021 polls and the assurances given on the floor of the Assembly have been fulfilled. “We will come out with new assurances and promises,” he said, indicating plans to release the party’s manifesto for the 2026 elections.