16.5.11

Somewhere in Puducherry....

Former chief minister and All India NR Congress founder-leader N Rangasamy demolished his detractors in Congress party the similar way AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa sent her arch rivals packing in Tamil Nadu in the just-concluded assembly polls. Rangasamy’s showing is yet another instance of a splinter group of the Congress defeating its parent party. Victory for All India NR Congress-led alliance is all the more sweeter as it managed to end a 12-year reign of the Congress in the tiny Union territory. Rangasamy was unceremoniously removed from the top post in the second year of his second tenure in 2008 by the Congress high command after his cabinet colleagues revolted against him charging that he acted unilaterally without consulting the cabinet. His former colleagues also accused him of favouritism while providing government jobs. His detractors said Rangasamy did not work for the all round development of the territory, but focused more on his constituency. After his sacking, Rangasamy went into a self-imposed political exile and abstained from attending government functions and assembly sessions. The first time he attended a public function in two years was when AICC president Sonia Gandhi visited the territory to inaugurate the Government Medical College and Women and Children’s Hospital in October last year. In January this year, Rangasamy made a daring decision and resigned from the Congress and the assembly. He floated a new political party, All India NR (Namadu Rajyam) in February. Subsequently seven more MLAs resigned from the legislature and joined his party. The party organised its maiden public meeting in April this year when Rangasamy broke his silence and addressed his supporters for more than three hours. He said he was a victim of political jealously and conspiracy. He declared that his former cabinet colleagues, who could not digest his growing popularity, misguided the party high and got him removed from the top post. Rangasamy forged an alliance with AIADMK and its allies CPI and DMDK. His party contested 17 seats, leaving 10 for AIADMK and one each for CPI and DMDK. The alliance registered an emphatic victory, bagging 20 of the 30 seats. NR Congress bagged 15 and AIADMK five. The ruling Congress camp managed to secure just nine. A DMK rebel candidate VMC Sivakkumar was elected from Neravy. He is expected to extend support to NR Congress to help the splinter group achieve a simple majority of 16 seats in the 30-member assembly.

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