PUDUCHERRY IS SAID to be the BJP’s Plan B to get a foothold in the Dravida land. But it took a serious hit in the Lok Sabha elections when its candidate in the lone constituency in the Union Territory, home minister A. Namassivayam, suffered a humiliating loss against the Congress’s V. Vaithilingam. And the poll debacle has led to a rebellion within the party, putting the N. Rangasamy-led coalition government in trouble.
In the 30-member assembly, Rangasamy’s All India NR Congress (10 seats) and the BJP (6) are in coalition, which is supported by six independent and three nominated legislators. The DMK-Congress alliance has eight MLAs, six and two each.
Some BJP MLAs and independents have asked to fix accountability for the defeat. A. Johnkumar, his son V. Richards Johnkumar and P.M.L. Kalyanasundaram along with independents P. Angalane, G. Srinivas Ashok and M. Sivasankaran and nominated member K. Venkatesan reportedly called on BJP president J.P. Nadda in Delhi. Apparently, Johnkumar wanted the central leadership to make all of them ministers on a rotation basis, which was promised when Namassivayam and Johnkumar left the Congress for the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in 2021.
“Our intention is not to rebel against the Rangasamy government as projected outside,” said Johnkumar. “We want our leaders at the Centre to honour the commitment made in 2021.”
Two of the BJP’s six MLAs are ministers―Namassivayam and A.K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar. A third one―Embalam R. Selvam―is the speaker. “The central leadership should either replace Namassivayam and Kumar with those who have been left out or should provide only outside support to the AINRC government. Only then can the BJP come to power in Puducherry,” said a party leader. Johnkumar’s supporters attribute Namassivayam’s defeat to his poor performance as minister.
The BJP, however, is downplaying the development. Nirmal Kumar Surana, who oversees Puducherry, said nobody had complained about anything to him. “The MLAs met the party president and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to discuss development plans for the Union Territory,” he said.
But the rebel MLAs say Surana does not understand Puducherry politics. “We have sought an appointment with Home Minister Amit Shah. We will meet him and explain our views on the reasons for the defeat in the Lok Sabha election,” said one of them. The rebel MLAs are also said to have appraised the central leadership about alleged corruption in the Rangasamy government.
Rangasamy, however, dismissed the development as the BJP’s internal issue. “It is their intra-party feud. Let them solve it themselves,” he said. When asked about the poor governance charges made by the BJP legislators, he said the government was “functioning properly”. “We have delivered on our promises,” he said.
Rangasamy believes that the BJP legislators are fighting among themselves for ministerial berths. Sources close to him said that he would not oblige to any request for cabinet reshuffle now.