PUDUCHERRY: It’s a new beginning for former chief minister N Rangasamy. He took the plunge on Monday, launching a new party — All India N R Congress. The AIADMK, MDMK and Left parties have already extended an olive branch to the former Congress leader. But will it prove beneficial?
AIADMK MPs M Thambidurai and S Semmalai recently called on Rangasamy at his residence, while the CPI adopted a resolution to support him. Now with the formal launch of the party, alliance talks are likely to begin soon. Rangasamy is expected to meet AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa also.
More than anything, projecting himself as the chief ministerial candidate is important to Rangasamy. If an alliance is forged between the AIADMK, MDMK, Left parties and All India NR Peravai, will he be declared the chief ministerial candidate for Puducherry?
The AIADMK has been very reserved on this aspect so far. “The issue of chief ministership and seat sharing will be decided by Jayalalithaa during alliance talks,” Thambidurai had said after his recent meeting with Rangasamy.
Pushing for the top seat may be a difficult job. But, much more needs to be done on the domestic front also. The All India N R Congress is a meeting point of disgruntled elements from other parties, mainly the Congress and DMK. Several people like former ministers P Rajavelu, Anandha Baskar, P Angalane and V Bhalan have joined Rangasamy looking for a political comeback. Others like former chairman of Congress Minority Cell Louis Kannaiah, former DMK councillor Nantha Kalaivanan and young hands nurture dreams to become MLAs. Of course, there are quite a few like N S J Jayabal, who have always remained with Rangasamy.
Even so, the N R Congress has been successful in building a strong support base in several contituencies. The groundwork for the party had begun much earlier, through N R Peravai, N R Thozhilsangam and similar social organisations. Activities at regular intervals and distribution of doles were all part of it. Rangasamy himself had participated in several of these functions.
Then there are his strongholds — Kadirkamam, Thattanchavady and Indira Nagar — that were curved out from Thattanchavady after delimitation.
Whether Rangasamy’s strategy would work out is not yet clear. But, the Congress has not taken his quitting lightly either as his move could lead to split in its votebank. In a bid to convince the electorate, the Congress leaders are now adopting different strategies. Chief Minister V Vaithilingam recently used the floor of the Assembly to establish that his governance was better than that of Rangasamy. Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy even caused a stir by saying that only a Congress government could bring in Central funds for the development of Union Territory.
As part of their strategy, the Congress leaders have got former Health Minister V Petheperumal to join Congress. This is important as Petheperumal had once been Rangasamy’s mentor. So, the Congress strategists think he would prove to be a strong rival for Rangasamy, if fielded from Thattanchavady, Indira Nagar or Kadirkamam.
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