Puducherry Congress leaders call for party to be at the forefront of Opposition

Former government whip R. K. R Anantharaman said in his address that the DMK should rally behind the Congress to take on the AINRC-BJP combine

A meeting of key organisational members of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) held in Puducherry on Thursday turned out to be a platform for party workers to express unhappiness over the Congress yielding space to its ally, the DMK, which is now the principal Opposition in the Union Territory. 

It was former government whip R. K. R Anantharaman who brought the DMK into the picture, stating in his address that the Dravidian party should rally behind the Congress to take on the AINRC-BJP combine [the present government in the Union Territory]. 

“The Congress is a national party. We may have lost the elections in the Union Territory but that doesn’t mean that we should give our space to the DMK. The DMK should rally behind the Congress. We should not be going behind them in the Union Territory. We have the largest vote base,“ he said. 

After Mr. Anantharaman, came former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, who said the Congress should lead the Opposition’s fight against the BJP and the AINRC.  “When we go to a political protest under the banner of the Secular Democratic Progressive Alliance, we see it being led by the Leader of the Opposition. The PCC president should take note of it and make sure that the Congress takes the lead role, “ Mr. Narayanasamy said. The former CM stressed the need for the Congress to take the lead in exposing the misdeeds of the AINRC-BJP government. 

Lok Sabha member V. Vaithilingam urged the party workers to organise a demonstration in every constituency. A ‘padayatra’ should be organised by party workers in the entire Union Territory, he added. 

Former Minister R. Kamalakannan said, “The party workers should leave the question of leadership to the high command and work towards strengthening the party. “

PCC president A. V. Subramanian, former Ministers M. Kandasamy, M.O.H.F. Shahajan and party legislator M. Vaithianathan were among those attended the meeting.