PUDUCHERRY: Former Chief Minister and NR Congress President N Rangasamy was gheraoed at Kadirgamam by partymen from Mannadipet constituency over news of the seat having gone to the BJP in the alliance. Supporters of sitting MLA T P R Selvam of the NR Congress were upset over the denial of opportunity to him for contesting the seat he had won in 2016 as well as 2011.
Though neither the BJP nor NR Congress have officially announced the constituencies allocated to each as yet, the leaders of both parties have reportedly reached an understanding on the seats. With Rangasamy giving the A and B form to official candidates as endorsement at the Appapaiyasamy temple, everything became clear.
Finding that Mannadipet was not in the NR Congress list, party cadres blocked Rangasamy’s car at the entrance of the Murugan temple at Kadirkamam, where he went to offer prayers before leaving for Yanam to file nominations to contest the seat. While some partymen surrounded his car, others lay on the road in front of his car and demanded that the constituency be allotted to Selvam.
Former minister A Namasivayam who quit the Congress and joined the BJP is likely to contest from here. Namasivayam changed his constituency from Villianur to Mannadipet in the apprehension that minorities in Villianur will not vote for him as he joined the BJP.
With Namasivayam preferring Mannadipet, the two-time sitting member T P R Selvam of the N R Congress lost his constituency. Selvam was in tears last evening when he met his supporters who were of the opinion that he should contest as an independent if Rangasamy failed to allot the seat to him.
Demanding that the Mannadipet seat be allotted to Selvam, the N R Congress volunteers blocked the car of Rangasamy. He pacified them and advised them not to function against the party as there would be other opportunities.