Puducherry polls | Miffed with Congress-DMK, CPI (M) may contest alone in 4 seats

“We are really unhappy with the way we were treated by the Congress and DMK during the seat-sharing talks,” party secretary R. Rajangam said



Miffed over the Congress-DMK decision not to accommodate the party to contest in the Assembly polls under the Secular Progressive Democratic Alliance (SDPA), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has in-principle decided to contest alone in four seats in the Union Territory.

“We are really unhappy with the way we were treated by the Congress and DMK during the seat-sharing talks. We have been closely associated with the Congress and other secular parties in opposing the policies of former Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and on the Centre’s attitude towards the elected government. We fought for the last four years to protect the rights of the Congress government in the UT but we were ignored,” party secretary R. Rajangam told The Hindu.

A party delegation on Friday had met former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to express displeasure over not being considered for the polls.

A few days ago, the Congress had signed a seat-sharing pact with the DMK by allocating 13 seats of the total 30 seats. After leaving one seat each to the CPI and VCK, the Congress had decided to contest the remaining 15 leaving no room for CPI (M) in the SDPA.

“We have told the Congress leadership to give due recognition for our party. If we don’t get a positive response in a day, the party will be fielding candidates in four constituencies,” Mr. Rajangam said.

The local leadership had informed the CPI (M) Tamil Nadu unit of its decision to field candidates at Thirubuvanai, Bahour, Lawspet and T. R Pattinam constituencies.

The party was keen to contest in Thirubuvanai due to its cadre base in the constituency, Mr Rajangam said. “We have our committed votes in all these four constituencies,” he added.

The last time the CPI (M) got an elected representative in the Assembly was in 1980 when its nominee K. V Raghavan won the Mahe seat. In the last Assembly elections, CPI (M) backed Independent V. Ramachandran had won the Mahe seat

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