Puducherry: Battle between 2 fronts with new allies

After the V Narayanasamy-led government lost its trust vote leading to its collapse on February 22, the Union Territory is poised to see a keen contest between two fronts — the one led by the Congress and the other by NR Congress founded by former chief minister N Rangasamy. The BJP’s presence is also palpable with repeated visits being made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, although their strategy is one of long haul, say analysts. People of Puducherry, who have not been welcoming of the BJP, are confused over the sudden switch in loyalties of many Congress MLA to the BJP, writes Dia Rekhi.BJP’s Slow RiseThe BJP currently does not have a single MLA. Yet, it has the most negotiating power among the other alliance partners. Analysts say BJP’s strategy is not one of immediate victory but a more forward-looking one. For this, the party has been getting new and old political faces to join its ranks. Congress leader P Kannan and his son joined the BJP on March 15.The Political Tie-upsThe Congress has tied up with DMK, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the CPM, the CPI and other small parties, while NR Congress was almost arm-twisted into an alliance with the BJP and the AIADMK. The Congress is contesting 15 seats, the DMK in 13, and the CPI and the VCK in one each.Congress Caught Off-GuardPeople in Puducherry believe that Congress was caught napping which is what led to the toppling of the government. They feel the Narayanasamy government was too preoccupied pointing fingers at others rather than focusing on providing efficient governance.Questions on LoyaltyWith MLAs switching from Congress to BJP in a flash, voters are wondering whether they can trust their elected candidates. The fact that the NDA alliance has not announced Rangasamy as their chief ministerial candidate strengthens the suspicion of people that the BJP will appoint someone with leanings to the saffron party as the CM, if their alliance is voted to power. In fact, Nirmal Kumar Surana, in charge of Puducherry BJP said, “Don’t confuse leadership with chief ministership. We are facing elections under the chairmanship of the very experienced Rangasamy.” Analysts believe the NR Congress-led alliance has the potential to sweep this election but the question is whether Rangasamy will be made CM at all and if so, whether he will be a puppet in the BJP’s hands.AIADMK Playing Second-FiddleAIADMK is taking a backseat among its alliance partners in Puducherry. It is in an alliance with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, where it is in a more commanding position. In Puducherry, the BJP allotted five seats to the AIADMK when the party demanded seven, and went on to give itself nine seats. This imbalance is causing an embarrassment to AIADMK which already finds itself in a tough spot for being soft on the BJP.

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