PUDUCHERRY: As the impasse over the induction of ministers continues in Puducherry, with the Chief Minister N Rangasamy not responding to BJP ‘s demands, two BJP MLAs, former Chief Minister A Namassivayam and Embalam R Selvam approached the party's National President J P Nadda at New Delhi and discussed the issue and the next course of action.
According to information released by the two MLAs, Nadda inquired about the current political situation in Puducherry and the plight of the people affected by the corona disease, and the steps that have been taken by the government to ameliorate the situation. On behalf of the Puducherry BJP, the two leaders expressed the need for immediate assistance to all those affected by the disease and those who lost their livelihood.
It has been 22 days since N Rangasamy was sworn in as Chief Minister of the AINRC-BJP alliance government in the UT. But the induction of ministers was postponed for a later date since both the parties were not in tune.
Particularly since the BJP wanted one of its ministers to be made Deputy Chief minister and Rangasamy maintaining that he was not sure whether there was such a provision for the UT. Another bone of contention is the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, which the BJP is seeking.
In the meantime, the Chief minister got infected by Covid just two days after assuming charge and remained hospitalized for eight days in a Chennai hospital, before returning to Puducherry and remaining in quarantine for another 10 days.
While the BJP expected him to discuss over the phone, after he became okay, he did not. Now after he resumed work, he continued to maintain silence. Though the BJP expected him to communicate and have discussions, Rangasamy chose to maintain a stoic silence in this regard, driving the message that the BJP’s demands were not acceptable to him. He would rather give two ministers and a Deputy Speaker to BJP, keeping the three minister posts and the Speaker post for his party, AINRC sources said.
The BJP observer Nirmal Kumar Surana on the other hand maintained that the Chief Minister should act as per the ''understanding'' the two parties had prior to his becoming the Chief minister.
With nothing moving, Namassivayam, the aspirant for the Deputy Chief minister’s post along with party Vice President and MLA Embalam Selvam decided to approach the national President.