The filing of nominations for the Assembly polls ended in the Union Territory of Puducherry, along with the states of Assam and Kerala, on Monday.
The two states and the Union Territory will witness single-phase polling on April 9.
Even as the process has ended, inner turmoil continues to prevail in the Congress-DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Puducherry, despite seat-sharing being finalised.
According to the pact that has been signed, Congress is set to contest 16 seats and the DMK 14. The DMK has allocated one seat from its quota to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), to the chagrin of latter.
Former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who is not contesting this election, told The New Indian Express that the DMK wanted to contest from Nellithope, a seat from where he had hoped to run.
"Since the DMK claimed the seat, there was a situation where the alliance could have broken. I did not want to be a party to that. So, I decided not to contest. I also informed the party high command. It was my own decision because I want the alliance to continue," he said.
However, Narayanasamy's supporters on Monday laid siege to the house of Puducherry Congress Chief V Vaithilingam. They reportedly shouted slogans, demanded his immediate resignation, blocked traffic, and briefly clashed with the police, accusing the leadership of conspiring against Narayanasamy.
Moreover, Narayanasamy said that in at least five-six constituencies nomination papers were filed by both the Congress and the DMK candidates. "We're trying to resolve it," he added.
The VCK has expressed its displeasure, with party president Thol Thirumavalavan announcing on Tuesday that the party would contest independently in three constituencies in the union territory. He cited delays and lack of clarity in seat allocation within the alliance as a reason for the decision to contest independently.
He claimed that the Congress, which is contesting from 16 seats, has failed to allocate constituencies to other partners.
He added the DMK had offered one constituency to the VCK, but even after the nomination process concluded, there was no clarity on which constituency would be allotted.
Further, according to DT Next, he noted that the Congress had filed nominations in all constituencies where the VCK and CPI had fielded candidates. With no confirmation on seat allocation, VCK functionaries were subjected to unnecessary distress.
In this backdrop, the party has decided to contest independently in the Oussudu, Nettapakkam, and Uzhavarkarai constituencies, where it has already filed nominations.
However, the VCK will extend support to Secular Progressive Alliance candidates in the remaining constituencies where it is not contesting, Thirumavalavan added.
Congress in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Girish Chodankar, believes a clear picture will emerge in the Union Territory after the withdrawal of candidatures on Wednesday.
When asked about the VCK, Chodankar said that, as in Tamil Nadu, it is the DMK that is handling talks with the VCK.
In the rival camp led by All India NR Congress (AINRC), the BJP is contesting 10 seats while the AINRC is contesting 16 seats. Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi (LJK) led by Jose Charles Martin, son of lottery baron Santiago Martin and the AIADMK are contesting two seats each.