Puducherry Assembly election: CPI(M) manifesto promises Statehood, waiver of legacy loan

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has promised to strive to obtain Statehood for Puducherry and press for the waiver of the Union Territory’s legacy loan.

The CPI(M), which has fielded candidates in the Lawspet and Thirubhuvanai constituencies and has extended support to an Independent in Mahe for the April 9 elections in the Union Territory, released its election manifesto on Saturday (April 4, 2026). The manifesto was released by party veteran T. Murugan in the presence of party secretary S. Ramachandran.

The manifesto promises to prevail upon the Centre to waive ₹2,177 crore of legacy loan of the UT and encourage the cultivation of paddy, cotton, and millets. The rice and millets generated would be used for distribution through the ration shops in Puducherry.

Steps will be taken to cancel the licences of resto bars started in the last five years, the manifesto said. More funds would be allocated for the health and education sectors. A textile park would be opened after integrating defunct units such as AFT and Bharathi mills. Administrative measures would be adopted to issue patta for homeless people.

The party would resist any attempt to privatise the Electricity Department, the manifesto further said.