PUDUCHERRY: In a politically turbulent environment, the NR Congress is expected to play a key role in the battle for ballots between the Congress alliance and BJP alliance in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the UT. Faced with a dilemma, its leader N Rangasamy has embarked on a spiritual tour to samadhis of saints and temples in Tamil Nadu to help him decide whether to join the BJP-AIADMK alliance or go it all alone in the upcoming polls.
Though the party has been part of the BJP–AIADMK alliance since the Lok Sabha elections in 2018 and the three by-polls in the UT as well as in toppling the Congress government led by V Narayanasamy, Rangasamy is not happy with the contours of the alliance being worked out which was unveiled by BJP president J P Nadda during his visit to Puducherry, said sources in the NR Congress. He has been patiently waiting for things to improve in his favour and recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Contesting in the alliance will boost the NR Congress's chances of garnering more seats than the Congress –DMK alliance and coming to power rather than going alone, especially after the debacle all three parties -- NR Congress, AIADMK, and BJP -- suffered by contesting independently in the 2016 Assembly election. It allowed the Congress and allies to get 17 seats as compared to 12 for the NR Congress, while the AIADMK and BJP drew a blank.
Being the Leader of the Opposition of the largest opposition party, Rangasamy expects to lead the NDA alliance by contesting a greater number of seats and be the Chief Ministerial candidate. However, the BJP has been calling the shots on the basis of being the ruling party at the Centre and getting heavyweight leaders from the Congress into their fold. The NR Congress has been offered a much lower number of seats than expected and also not been given an assurance on the Chief Minister post if the alliance came to power, sources said.
In fact, the BJP has been maintaining that the leader of the alliance will be decided after the elections, based on the performance of the parties in the polls. So unless the NR Congress contests a sizable number of constituencies and wins a majority of them, it cannot emerge as the leader in the alliance. On the other hand, the BJP has been planning to contest a good number of seats and is projecting former PWD Minister A Namassivayam to be their Chief Minister.
In this scenario, when discussions are on, Rangasamy without conveying his decision left Puducherry this morning for a pilgrimage. It has been a pattern for Rangasamy in the past to rely on spiritual intuition. Several political decisions including breaking away from the Congress and floating the NR Congress, selection of candidates for polls, allotment of portfolios as well as administrative decisions were taken through these means.
In a similar way, Rangasamy is slated to visit the Samadhi of Seer Azhikkusamy at Vettaikaranpudur near Pollachi, the Samadhi of his Guru Appapaithiyasamy at Salem, Lord Murugan temples at Palani and at Tiruchendur. On returning, he is expected to make a decision.
If he decides to go it alone, a three-cornered contest would emerge in Puducherry, which will have ramifications for the Congress-DMK and BJP-AIADMK alliance. But most importantly, Rangasamy may emerge as the kingmaker in the formation of the government.