Although the NDA has struck a rainbow alliance in Tamil Nadu, it is in a mess in the Union Territory with allies rebelling against the All India NR Congress (AINRC).
After PMK, now the DMDK has refused to extend support to AINRC candidate R Radhakrishnan. When AINRC party general secretary V Bhalan called on the secretary of local unit of DMDK, R Selvaraj, at the latter’s party office at Reddiarpalayam, Selvaraj sent him back, asking him to first meet the party chief Vijayakant. Apparently, the DMDK cadre were sore with Chief Minister and AINRC founder N Rangasamy for not giving the due ‘respect’ to their party.
After AINRC’s victory in the 2011 Assembly elections in which DMDK was in alliance with the AINRC along with the AIADMK, the party (DMDK) has been sidelined, Selvaraj told Express. “Since the last three years the AINRC government has been in power, it has not maintained any contact with us. But now, as the Parliamentary elections are fast-approaching, it has come to us. How can we extend support now,” he said.
Although the DMDK has a limited votebase in Puducherry, it still cannot be ignored considering the fact the ongoing poll contest is a stiff one.
Meanwhile, the PMK candidate Anantharaman went to the BJP party office and called on BJP office- bearers led by party president M Visweswaran seeking support. The BJP is backing AINRC candidate, while PMK is keen on fielding its own candidate. Immediately after the meeting, Anantharaman went to DMDK office and called on DMDK secretary R Selvaraj and other office- bearers seeking their support. “We will wait for Captain’s direction”, said Selvaraj.