Congress willing to boycott Puducherry polls over Statehood issue if CM takes first step: PPCC chief

Expressing dismay over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the demand for Statehood raised by Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy at Sunday’s (March 1) event in Lawspet, the chief of Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and MP V. Vaithilingam on Monday (March 2) said that the Congress was ready to boycott the coming Assembly polls if the Chief Minister made a formal announcement of his party’s decision to abstain from the 2026 elections in Union Territory over the issue of Statehood.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the PPCC chief said it was regrettable that the Prime Minister, who spoke at the event, did not make any reference to Mr. Rangasamy’s request for Statehood. The Prime Minister did not even acknowledge the request, he added.