Congress Pondy list today

By S. Nadarajan

PONDICHERRY, APRIL 18. The Congress list of candidates for the Assembly poll in Pondicherry would be released tomorrow.

The PCC president, Mr. V. Narayanaswamy, told The Hindu from Delhi today that the list was being finalised in consultation with the high command and would be announced tomorrow.

The TMC and the CPI are among the allies of the secular front headed by the Congress here. The initial expectation was that the front headed by the Congress would include the PMK, the TMC and the AIADMK. But the virtually preemptive accord finalised by the AIADMK and the PMK earmarking 10 seats to the latter and the ``unrelenting stand'' of the PMK that it would head the first half of the five-year term of office if the front emerged victorious, had triggered a crisis which culminated in the breakdown of the ``grand alliance.''

The AIADMK has announced its nominees for the 20 constituencies after sharing 10 segments with the PMK. The PMK has announced its candidates for nine out of the 10 segments, withholding the decision on Palloor in Mahe region.

Because of the virtual delay on the part of the Congress, the TMC, an ally of the Congress , is keeping its fingers crossed, and so is the CPI.

The CPI appears to be firm on its stand that the Mudaliarpet constituency, a predominantly labour intensive segment, be left to it as it is a sitting constituency for the party. The Congress is not prepared to concede this as an important PCC functionary belonging to Mudaliarpet cannot be slighted.

The DMK nominee, Mr. N. Kesavan, who holds the Lawspet constituency, had announced yesterday that he had decided not to contest. But today he reversed his decision and announced that he would jump into the fray in deference to the high command decision that he be the candidate in Lawspet.

Mrs. Kalaichelvi, Mr. Kesavan's sister-in-law, is the AIADMK nominee in Lawspet.

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