Lok Sabha poll defeat the trigger, BJP rebels put Puducherry govt in crisis

A crisis brewing for a while in Puducherry’s All India NR Congress (AINRC)-led coalition government, including the BJP, has come to a head.

A delegation of seven legislators, including three BJP MLAs, a nominated BJP legislator, and three Independents, has arrived in New Delhi with demands for immediate changes in the Union territory government.

The delegation met BJP national president J P Nadda Wednesday, reportedly urging a Cabinet reshuffle and raising issues of corruption and misgovernance.

The catalyst for the demands is the recent defeat of Puducherry Home Minister A Namasivayam, who was fielded by the BJP, in the Lok Sabha elections. Namasivayam, the nephew of Chief Minister and AINRC leader N Rangasamy, lost to the Congress’s V Vaithilingam by over 1.36 lakh votes.

The legislators have told the high command that the loss was the result of poor administration and ineffective leadership by the three-year-old UT government led by Rangasamy.

Worried AINRC leaders are watching the developments closely to see where this leaves them. Should the three BJP MLAs and the Independent MLAs decide to part ways, the government may be in jeopardy, as also the coalition.

Talking to The Indian Express Thursday evening, Rangasamy said there was nothing he could do in the situation. “Let them (the BJP) solve it.” Asked about BJP MLAs’ charges against his government, including poor governance, Rangasamy laughed: “The government is functioning properly, there are no complaints here. Let them find a solution for the problems within their own party.”

The MLAs who are in Delhi include the BJP’s P M L Kalyanasundaram, A John Kumar and Kumar’s son Richard, as well as Independents M Sivasankaran, P Angalan, and Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok.

A BJP MLA