PUDUCHERRY: The Congress will lead the INDIA bloc in Puducherry while the DMK will continue to head the alliance in Tamil Nadu. The arrangement had been decided upon following discussions with Tamil Nadu DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin, said Girish Chodankar, AICC in-charge (Tamil Nadu Puducherry), on Friday.
Addressing media persons after chairing a consultation meeting at the party office in Puducherry, Chodankar said discussions were held in connection with the election strategy for the Union Territory and the formation of an alliance similar to the one in Tamil Nadu. The number of seats each party will contest will be finalised only after negotiations, he added.
“The formula followed in Tamil Nadu will continue in Puducherry. When there is an alliance, it naturally involves some adjustments. We have conveyed this to the DMK leadership. Negotiations regarding Puducherry will take place in Puducherry,” Chodankar said.
Further, the CM would be decided by the elected MLAs after the elections, he told.
Earlier, during the meeting, a seven-member committee was constituted under the leadership of MP and PCC President Ve Vaithilingam to hold alliance discussions with DMK.
Meanwhile, sources within the Congress said the party is keen to contest at least 20 constituencies in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, leaving the remaining seats to the DMK and other alliance partners.
Historically, the Congress has contested more than 20 seats in Puducherry. However, in the 2021 Assembly elections, the party contested only 14 of the 15 seats allotted to it, while the DMK contested 13 seats. One seat each was given to the CPI and the VCK .
While the Congress won two out of the 14 seats, the DMK won six out of 13. In that election, the Congress did not contest the Yanam constituency and instead supported Independent candidate Gollapalli Ashok Srinivas, who defeated N Rangasamy.
DMK holds emergency consultation meeting
Puducherry: Close on the heels of Congress leader Girish Chodankar’s announcement that the party will lead the INDIA bloc in Puducherry, the DMK convened an emergency consultation meeting of party functionaries at its Puducherry headquarters on Laporte Street on Friday.According to party sources, the DMK, which contested 13 seats in the last Assembly election and won six, is now aiming to contest at least 15 seats.