New pattern of alliance in Pondy

By S. Nadarajan

PONDICHERRY, APRIL 22. For the first time after 21 years, the Congress is facing the Assembly poll without the company of the AIADMK. The snapping of ties between the two parties and the emergence of a new pattern of alliances have created a unique and interesting poll scene in the Union Territory, which has 30 Assembly constituencies.

The AIADMK now has on its side the PMK and has shared the 30 seats in 2:1 ratio. The Congress heads the secular front with the TMC and the CPI. The seats are being shared as under: the Congress (21), the TMC (7), and the CPI (two).

The DMK, leading the NDA, has fielded nominees in 13 seats, while its constituents the PMC has taken nine, the BJP five, the DPI 2 and the JD (U) one.

With this lineup, a triangular fight in almost all the constituencies is on the cards.

The Congress now heading the coalition Ministry is locking horns in six constituencies in the Pondicherry region in virtually a three-cornered fight with the AIADMK and the DMK. A similar scene is being witnessed in two segments in Karaikal.

The TMC, the PMC and the PMK are challenging each other in three segments, the TMC, the PMC and the AIADMK are locking horns in two, the DMK, the PMK and the Congress are locked in two constituencies.

Three former Chief Ministers, Mr.V. Vaithilingam (Cong.), Mr.D. Ramachandran (AIADMK) and Mr.S. Ramassamy (Cong.) are in the fray in Nettapakkam, Mannadipet and Karaikal north constituencies respectively. All eyes are on Reddiarpalayam where the sitting CPI MLA, Mr.R. Viswanathan is locking horns with the BJP nominee, Mr.A.M. Krishnamoorthy. The PMK has also fielded a candidate, Mr.N.G. Pannerselvam.

The Congress has parted company with the AIADMK with a heavy heart, according to party sources. The present Government headed by Mr. Shanmugham, came to power in March last year after the fall of the DMK Government, with support from outside by the AIADMK.

Mr.V.Narayanaswamy, PCC (I) president, said the party would train its guns mainly on the DMK and also the failure of the DMK-led Government in the recent past. He said the achievements of the Shanmugham ministry would be the major aspect of the Congress propaganda.

The former Education Minister and general Secretary of the PCC (I), Mr.A. Gandhiraj, who is pitted against another former Education Minister and DMK nominee, Mr.S.P. Sivakumar, in the Rajbhavan constituency, said the people were pleased with the Congress jumping into the fray on its own without an alliance.

The PMC has jumped into the fray in alliance with the DMK and this is the first poll for the party after it came into existence in October last year following a split in the TMC.

Mr. Elumalai of the PMC is seeking reelection from Oussudu from where he was elected in a byelection in September 1998 as a TMC nominee. The PMC's twin adversaries are the Congress (I) and TMC.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : State Elections
Previous : Politics a key factor in Ambalappuzha
Next     : DMK plotting violence: Jayalalitha