PUDUCHERRY: Hectic parleys are on between the NR Congress and BJP to formalise an alliance, following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.
After NR Congress founder President N Rangasamy played truant on the alliance, Shah spoke to him. This was confirmed by Rangasamy who said that he will take a good decision.
Soon after Shah’s discussion over the phone, a meeting of senior NR Congress leaders was held in the afternoon at the party office on ECR chaired by Rangasamy. The meeting lasted for about an hour.
Thereafter, a delegation of NR Congress General Secretary N S Jayabal, former Deputy Speakers T P R Selvam and A Bakthavachalam, who is an advocate, held discussions with the BJP team of Nirmal Kumar Surana, the Karnataka BJP Vice President and election in-charge of Puducherry, V Saminathan, the BJP state President, and others at a hotel on Monday evening.
Though the exact nature of the discussions between the two parties is not known, sources said that there has been headway in the talks. Rangasamy is looking at the prospects of formalization of the alliance. The offer has been for 17 seats to the NR Congress and the remaining 13 to be shared between the BJP, AIADMK and PMK, sources said.
The NR Congress is confident of winning a substantial number of seats in the upcoming poll by dint of a few heavyweight Congress MLAs joining the party including the former parliamentary secretary to the Chief Minister. Besides, the party has its own former ministers, legislators and former MLAs. With the anti-incumbency factor against the Congress, the party is expecting to reap the benefits and be in a situation to form the government after the polls. Hence the party cannot ignore the BJP which is in power at the Centre and would want to have good ties with it to run the government.
With the BJP desirous of a grand alliance with the NR Congress, AIADMK and PMK and fresh offers being made to Rangasamy, he is likely to join the NDA to contest the elections.