Union Minister of State for PMO V Narayanasamy, who is seeking re-election from the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat, on Friday hit out at his party colleagues in Tamil Nadu for shying away from contesting Lok Sabha elections.
Taking a dig at his Tamil Nadu colleagues in the Union ministry, he said, after enjoying power during favourable times, he was not the one to shy away during trying times. “When a few cadre from Tamil Nadu were refusing to contest, I boldly came forward to contest and hence, Sonia Gandhi announced my candidature before the announcement of Tamil Nadu candidates,” said Narayanasamy, addressing an election meeting at the Pradesh Congress party office on Friday. “As far I am concerned, contesting an election is not for myself but for the party, which is more important. If the party exists we exist,” he said.
Boosting the spirit of the cadre, he said the Congress was a leading party in Puducherry and was strong enough to win the election on its own. Citing the instance of the party’s victory in 2001, when the party contested the Assembly elections without any major alliance, he said, “There was neither DMK or AIADMK in our fold, but we won and lasted a full term,” said Narayanasamy. Though now the party was not in governance in UT, it was still in a stronghold and could win the elections, he added.