Puducherry, Aug 22 (BPNS)
The Congress party in Puducherry is passing through a major crisis with the groups owing allegiance to former Chief Minister, V. Narayanasamy, and former Minister and senior leader, Kandasamy.
On Sunday the issue between the two leaders cropped out in the open with several functionaries and party cadres demanding the removal of present PCC president, A.V. Subramanian is close to the former Chief Minister, Narayanaswamy. The AICC observer in charge of Puducherry, Dinesh Gundu Rao was present at the party state headquarters when the cadres shouted against each other.
It may be noted that the Congress party in Puducherry was weakened after several leaders crossed over to the BJP, including A. Namassivayam, the present state home minister. Present Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy was also an old Congress leader, who broke away from the party and formed his own regional outfit, All India NR Congress (AINRC), and is sharing power with the BJP.
The present issue cropped up after several cadres and lower rung leaders leveled allegations against the present Puducherry state president of the party, A.V. Subramanian, and wanted to remove him from the post. This led to arguments and counterarguments in the party state executive meeting on Sunday that was presided by Dinesh Gundu Rao in his capacity of AICC in charge and observer for the state party.
A senior leader of the Congress party while speaking to BPNS said, “The party is already decimated and there are no senior leaders who command respect other than Narayanasamy and there is a tendency in the party to try and marginalize him. The Congress of Puducherry is a minor force now with a majority of leaders having crossed over to the BJP before the last assembly polls leading to the saffron party gaining power in association with a former Congress leader, N. Rangasamy.”
He said that unless the AICC leaders give ear to the feelings of the party cadres and lower-level leaders, the party will not be able to make a political comeback in the state.
Sources in the Puducherry Congress also said that there could be another major exodus of some senior leaders into both the AINRC as well as to the BJP in the days to come if the issues that have cropped up are not handled properly.
