Puducherry, Apr 3:
Senior Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clearly state his position on granting Statehood status to Puducherry during his visit to the Union Territory for campaigning ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Wasnik recalled that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy had allied with the BJP in the previous elections with a promise to secure Statehood for Puducherry. He questioned Rangasamy’s earlier stance of boycotting elections if Statehood was not granted, and sought an explanation.
Wasnik also criticised the NDA government’s performance, alleging that despite promises to make Puducherry the “best”, the administration had instead become synonymous with corruption. He further alleged that a 30 per cent commission was being collected in government tenders.
Raising concerns over governance, he said several infrastructure announcements, including construction of overbridges, had not materialised, reflecting administrative failure. He also accused the Prime Minister of avoiding press interactions and not addressing key public concerns.
Dismissing speculation of rifts within the INDI Alliance, Wasnik asserted that Congress, DMK, and other partners were campaigning together and any issues would be resolved through discussions. He expressed confidence that voters would support the alliance.
He added that AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge would campaign in Puducherry on April 4, followed by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on April 6. The Congress manifesto for Puducherry will be released during Kharge’s visit.
On Tamil Nadu, Wasnik said the Congress list for the 28 allotted seats in the DMK-led alliance was ready and would be released shortly.