Lok Sabha Elections 2024 |AINRC-led coalition's 'corrupt administration' in Puducherry cause of BJP's rout: Congress

Puducherry: The opposition has attributed the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Parliamentary polls in the Union territory to "corrupt and anti-people" administration of the AINRC-BJP coalition ministry in Puducherry.

Congress candidate V Vaithilingam retained the lone seat in the union territory by winning by a margin of 1,36,616 votes. He got 4,26.005 votes while his BJP rival and Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam polled 2,89,489 votes. There were 26 contestants in the fray.

Speaking to reporters immediately after the declaration of the poll result on late Tuesday night, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said, "Puducherry people were fed up with the deficient performance of the Rangasamy-led AINRC-BJP coalition ministry".

"Corruption in the administration has contributed much to the BJP biting the dust in the polls. The government should quit office as people have rejected the BJP and also the coalition ministry here," he added.

Will the defeat of the BJP give a jolt to the stability of the Rangasamy-led coalition ministry here is the question that is being debated in various quarters.

The Congress feels that wavering policies and the anti-people approach on the part of the government here have contributed to the defeat of the BJP.

The closure of the fair price shops, the opening of resto bars and the Central government's announcement to privatise the distribution of electricity in Puducherry were also some of the reasons for the defeat of the saffron party in the union territory, said a Congress leader.

The Congress has been campaigning against the privatisaion of the power sector.

A section of merchants said that GST had been a major irritant for the business community and also the consumers.

The problem of unemployment affecting the youth and also lack of steps to generate jobs have been assessed to be the cause of the defeat of the BJP, a coalition partner of AINRC in the polls.

Congress leader Vaithilingam has gone on record stating that "unchecked rise in ganja menace has been causing havoc among the youth in Puducherry".

"Young boys in pre-matric classes were falling prey to drug menace in various centres here. Crimes were taking place because of consumption of drugs," he said on Tuesday.

The 74-year-old Vaithilingam is a former Chief Minister of Puducherry and also former Speaker of the territorial Assembly. At present, he is president of the Puducherry Congress Committee. He is the son of veteran freedom fighter and former Chief Minister of Puducherry, the late V Venkatasubba Reddiar.

Vaithilingam's first poll battle was in 1980. He was defeated in the maiden electoral battle by the then Janata party candidate, the late R Subbaraya Gounder in Nettapakkam Assembly constituency here. He, however, emerged victorious as Congress nominee in all the successive polls held since 1985. He was presented the best legislator award by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat here in 2009.

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