PUDUCHERRY: My party is ready to boycott the Assembly elections to demand statehood for Puducherry, AINRC founder and former chief minister N Rangasamy said on Sunday. He also challenged other parties to follow suit.
Attending the party’s 10th anniversary celebrations at party office on East Coast Road, Rangasamy hoisted the party flag, performed pooja, and distributed sweets to party men.
“Welfare schemes were properly implemented when we were governing Puducherry. However, the present government has even failed to provide basis facilities to the public. Not even a single employment opportunity was created in the last five years. The government was not even able to provide food to students,” he said.
Claiming that Statehood for Puducherry was imperative for its development, Rangasamy said, “We have been protesting for this demand last ten years. Now, our party has entered its eleventh year. We have held several conferences and passed many resolutions in the Assembly for the Statehood. All parties should jointly boycott elections and approach the Centre with this demand. AINRC is ready, will other parties join us and boycott the elections?”
“If we act unitedly, AINRC can win in most constituencies and form the next government. All cadre must cooperate and work for our party’s success. The present government has lost the right to seek votes. All roads are battered, but they just want to implement helmet rule and collect fines. Moreover, some evil forces are trying to create confusion among us. We will deal with them unitedly,” he told the party cadre.
NR Congress MLAs Jayabal, Thirumurugan, Sugumaran and Gopika, former ministers Rajavelu and Paneerselvam, former Assembly Speaker Sababathy and other leaders were present on the occasion.