Puducherry Assembly election: Congress demands response from Centre to Chief Minister’s demand for Statehood

Ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Puducherry on Friday for campaigning for April 9 polls, the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee has posed a challenge to the Central government on the Union Territory’s demand for Statehood.

Addressing a press conference at the PPCC office, MP and party’s candidate for Thattanchavady constituency V. Vaithilingam on Thursday said Chief Minister and AINRC founder N. Rangasamy has made a demand to Mr. Modi for Statehood when he visited Puducherry last month for a government event. 

The Chief Minister while addressing the gathering in the presence of Prime Minister had demanded Statehood for Puducherry. The Prime Minister should respond to the demand during his visit to Puducherry for BJP’s Assembly election campaign on Friday, he said.

Recalling the statement made by the Chief Minister in the Assembly of boycotting the Assembly elections on the issue of Statehood, the Congress leader said Mr. Rangasamy should take a decision on boycotting elections if the Prime Minister failed to positively respond to his demand. 

“The Congress party is challenging the Prime Minister to respond to the demand made by the Chief Minister. If Mr. Rangasamy takes a decision on boycotting the elections, the Congress will extend support to the Chief Minister,” he said. 

AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, who was present at the press conference, said the NDA government in Puducherry has failed to deliver on the promises. “The BJP has promised Statehood for Puducherry in the 2021 polls but after five years the assurance remained unfulfilled,” he said.