Call From Amit Shah Saved NR Congress-BJP Alliance In Puducherry: Sources

A late intervention by Union Home Minister Amit Shah appears to have salvaged the fragile alliance between the All India NR Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Puducherry, even as key demands remain unresolved.

Sources in the NR Congress say party chief and Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who had hardened his stance and even left on a pilgrimage, received a phone call from Shah on Thursday, when he was at the temple town of Tiruchendur. The conversation is believed to have played a decisive role in Rangasamy agreeing to continue in the NDA fold the following day.

Despite the truce, the BJP has not conceded either of Rangasamy's two principal demands - a formal assurance on full statehood for Puducherry and the exclusion of Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), led by lottery baron Santiago Martin's son Charles, from the alliance. Four other conditions, they said, have been agreed to.

Shah is learnt to have assured the chief minister that concerns over the powers of the elected government would be addressed if the alliance returns to power.

A senior NR Congress minister told NDTV that Shah is expected to ensure a "smooth working arrangement".

Puducherry BJP president VP Ramalingam had earlier made it clear that full statehood was off the table, stating, "Statehood for Puducherry is not possible, but we will grant special status and several special schemes will be formulated for the Union Territory."

The friction stems from the party's experience in office over the past five years, with sources alleging that frequent confrontations with the Lieutenant Governor hampered governance. Routine administrative decisions - including appointments and extensions for contract teachers - often ran into hurdles, they claim, undermining the rationale behind aligning with the BJP.

This time, the NR Congress is pushing for written assurances from the Centre and is seeking a formal agreement outlining deliverables.

The NR Congress will contest 16 of 30 seats in the Puducherry Assembly, while the BJP is expected to get 14, with two of these likely to be allocated to the AIADMK. The BJP has already released its first list of nine candidates.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NR Congress won 10 seats - short of a majority - while the BJP secured six, enabling the formation of a coalition government.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam managed to emerge victorious in six constituencies, while the Indian National Congress was reduced to just two.