Puducherry/Chennai: With PMK coming out with a categorical statement that it would contest the lone Lok Sabha seat in Puducherry, the ruling AINRC and BJP on Monday reiterated that the AINRC’s nominee and former Assembly Speaker R. Radhakrishnan would be the ‘official’ candidate of the National Democratic Alliance.
In a joint press conference, AINRC founder and chief minister N. Rangasamy and BJP Puducherry unit president M. Visweshwaran said that all the constituents of the NDA would strive for the victory of Mr Radhakrishnan who is the official candidate of the NDA in Puducherry. He said that the MDMK, DMDK and IJK were the other parties.
Their announcement came in the wake of PMK president G.K. Mani issuing a statement that his party’s Puducherry unit convenor R.K.R. Anantharaman would contest the election. The PMK, which is part of the BJP-led six-party alliance in TN, has been staking its claim to the lone Puducherry seat, but the saffron party has allotted the seat to the AINRC.
When his attention was drawn to the PMK’'s stand, Mr Visweshwaran said that he would meet the PMK leaders and urge them to reconsider their decision. Chief minister N. Rangasamy said that he would meet PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss to seek their support for the AINRC nominee. The different stand taken by the BJP and PMK in respect of the lone LS seat in Puducherry has caused confusion amongst the allies in Puducherry.
A rally scheduled to be addressed by DMDK chief Vijayakanth on Monday was cancelled as the party was said to b in a dilemma on whom to project as the NDA nominee in Puducherry.
