The BJP is making all out efforts to remain in alliance with the ruling N R Congress to fight the April 9 assembly elections in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The continuance of N R Congress-BJP alliance was finalized when BJP master poll strategiest and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held talks with NRC Founder and Chief Minister N Rangasamy during his visit to the Karaikal region of the Union Territory.
However, difference of opinion cropped up when the seat sharing talks began between the two parties as Rangasamy insisted that status quo should be maintained in the NDA which had contested the last election and no new parties should be admitted.
Meanwhile, the saffron party, which had in principle agreed and allotted 16 of the total 30 seats to NRC — though it was not officially announced yet — was planning to share the remaining 14 seats among itself, AIADMK and the new party Lakshya Jananayaga Katchi (NJK), which had joined the NDA.
However, Rangasamy objected to this and it was directly conveyed to Union Minister Mansukh Mandavya. Rangasamy had also threatened to pull out of the alliance if any new parties are admitted into the NDA.