PUDUCHERRY: Most of the Congress heavyweights have decided to sit out this elections. The list includes former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, former Ministers Malladi Krishna Rao and E Valsaraj, former Speaker VP Sivakozhunthu, and former Deputy Speaker MNR Bhalan. When Congress released its list of candidates on Tuesday night, the names of Narayanasamy and Bhalan were missing in the list.
Narayanasamy, however, refused to comment on the reasons for not contesting. But party sources said Narayanasamy would be coordinating the election works for the party along with Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam and the Chairman of the election committee, as State party president V Subramanian is busy contesting the election in Karaikal. Yet the reasons are far more deeper than that.
Those who left the party leading to the toppling of the government in UT have not only faulted Narayanasamy for the non-performance of the government but also criticised his functioning. Though Narayanasamy had repeatedly cited that his government’s functioning was crippled by the BJP government at the Centre and former Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, it totally fell flat as his partymen put all the blame on him.
A cornered Narayanasamy may not be able to garner votes in his favour, nor for the party and chose to stay out of the contest. With the party bruised and battered just ahead of the polls because of the exit of several leaders and party functionaries, senior leaders felt it would be better to keep Narayanasamy away from the election fray.
Already E Valsaraj, the former Home and Health Minister from Mahe has announced that he would not be contesting from the Mahe seat, which he had won five times earlier. He said he wanted to make way for the younger party people to contest. Former Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao from Yanam has moved out of Congress to NR Congress camp.
Another former Congress MLA E Theepainthan, who jumped ship to BJP, has not been nominated to contest the Ossudu (SC) seat he had won in 2016. Former Speaker VP Sivakozhunthu who has become a BJP sympathiser after quitting Congress is not contesting the Lawspet seat. Former DMK MLA D Venkatasan, who won the Thattanchavady by-election but later quit the party and joined BJP recently has not been fielded by BJP, as the Thattanchavady seat went to NR Congress in the alliance.
The Thattanchavady seat was swapped by BJP for Mannadipet to facilitate A Namassivayam to contest the seat. DMK member from Neravy, Geetha Anand, was not given a ticket by the DMK to contest the seat and the party has fielded a debutant Naga Thiagarajan.
NR Congress sitting MLA TPR Selvam, the former Deputy Speaker, lost a chance to seek re-election on NR Congress ticket from Mannadipet. Similarly another N R Congress sitting member N S J Jayabal was not given a chance to seek re-election from Kadirkamam as the seat was given to K S P Ramesh who recently joined the party from Congress. Independent member from Mahe, Ramachandran is not contesting this time.
The real reason?
Party sources said Narayanasamy would be coordinating the election works for the party along with Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam and the Chairman of the election committee, as State party president V Subramanian is busy contesting the election in Karaikal
Rangasamy files nomination from Yanam, his second constituency
Puducherry: NR Congress president and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy has filed his nomination from Yanam, the second constituency for him, after filing his first one from Thattanchavady. After offering prayers at a temple, Rangasamy, accompanied by former Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao, went on a rally around the constituency and then filed his nomination.
Rangasamy declared his assets valuing `38.39 crore, which include agricultural lands, housing society, two cars, two bikes, and gold. Meanwhile, BJP State president V Saminathan has filed his nomination from Lawspet, while Puducherry Pradesh Congress president and former Speaker and Minister A V Subramanian filed from Karaikal (North). Ex-MLA and AIADMK West Secretary Om Sakthi Segar of AIADMK filed his nomination from Orleanpet. Many other former ministers and independent candidates also filed their nominations on the day.