The ruling N.R. Congress-BJP alliance faces anti-incumbency trend, but opposition Congress-DMK alliance lacks coordination
The elections of Puducherry, a small union territory with only thirty member assembly, are of historical and political importance in many ways. Congress has dominated the politics there for decades, but barely a week before the announcement of 2021 assembly elections, the current Chief Minister N. The government of the then Chief Minister V. Narayanaswamy had fallen due to the rift in the party under the leadership of Rangaswamy. In this, the environment created by his long conflict with the then Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi is also said to have played an important role. Congress alleges that the split was achieved through four-time former Chief Minister Rangaswami. However, in the 2021 elections, N.R. Congress (AINRC) got 10 seats and BJP 6 seats. Now the voting of 9th April will be the test of this so called ‘double engine’ government, the results of which will be revealed on 4th May.
But this time the LPG crisis has increased the anger among the people on many issues. The ruling coalition is confident of providing a stable government and its welfare programmes. Recently, Chief Minister Rangaswamy said that the state had suffered huge losses due to Congress’s Narayanaswamy’s meaningless clash with the Lieutenant Governor. However, the main opposition party DMK is trying to make Dravidian dignity and federalism the main issue, especially in Karaikal area which has 6 seats. In the last elections, DMK had got 6 seats, while Congress was reduced from 15 seats to 2 seats.
However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate V. Vaitalingam defeated BJP minister A. Defeated Namasivayam by 1.36 lakh votes. This boosted the morale of the party and united it. However, this same enthusiasm is coming in the way of coordination of seats in India Bloc, especially with DMK. DMK’s Puducherry convenor and leader of opposition in the assembly R. Shiva is continuously claiming Dravidian style government. This is being seen there as a challenge to Congress’s lead in the India block. DMK MP and party’s Puducherry in-charge S. Jagatrakshan has completed seat coordination talks with the other parties of the opposition camp, CPI(M), CPI and VCK. Ultimately coordination with Congress has been achieved, but sourness may persist, which may have an impact on the results.
Apart from this, there is no time now because after the candidature is decided with the withdrawal of nominations on March 26, very little time will be available for campaigning. On the other hand, NDA has completed coordination among the allies. According to the announced arrangement, like in 2021, AINRC will contest on 16 seats and other allies including BJP will contest on 14 seats. BJP in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana and Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hinted at bringing Lakhiya Jannayaga Katchi into the NDA fold. Due to this, AIADMK has got only two seats this time, which had contested on five seats in the last elections.
Apart from this, Tamilar Katchi, the party which left AIADMK behind in the Lok Sabha elections, has announced to field candidates on 28 seats. He has also started his campaign in full swing. There is no indication of Vijay’s TVK contesting in Puducherry. In this complicated environment, NDA hopes that it will get help in changing the anti-incumbency trend.
However, the election is going to be interesting. The opposition India Bloc is raising the issue of incomplete performance of government programmes, failure to live up to promises and failures and neglect of the central government. This time he is also making an issue of Puducherry not getting anything in the Union Budget. For BJP, victory is important to make inroads in the South, while for the opposition, it is a fight to regain its lost ground. Its results will be interesting. The battle for this former French colony undoubtedly has a different political significance.
