A section of the BJP MLAs in Puducherry expressed displeasure against the government over various issues including corruption, and knocked on the doors of the national leadership, triggering a political crisis involving the ruling AINRC-BJP coalition in the union territory. The legislators camped in the national capital with a plea to set things right before they “become worse”. They have put forth some demands, which also include the reshuffling of the cabinet.
Fissures within the local BJP unit also seem to have come to the fore with calls being made for replacing the incumbent UT head over the party nominee's loss in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. BJP candidate, Puducherry Home Minister A Namassivayam lost to Congress' Ve Vaithilingam by a margin of over 1.36 lakh votes in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls and murmurs are being heard in the saffron camp that the three-year old N Rangasamy-led government's 'deficient performance' also contributed to his defeat.
A delegation of 7 MLAs belonging to the BJP, along with a couple of nominated legislators and independents has sought the intervention of the BJP high command "to set right the shortcomings in the working of the coalition ministry in Puducherry", a BJP source said on Thursday.
They met BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi on Wednesday and sought his intervention to "set right the party and the administration", the source added.
The delegation also called on Lt Governor CP Radhakrishan and raised certain issues, including the government not meeting the needs and requirements of the constituencies held by the BJP and legislators supporting it. The MLAs also complained about "rampant corruption."
“At the national capital, the MLAs also met Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who was the party observer in the recent past and explained to him the apparent reasons for the failure of the BJP in the parliamentary polls,” the source said.
CM Rangasamy remains silent on rebellion
Chief Minister Rangasamy remains tight-lipped even as legislators have come out against his government.
The AINRC has 10 legislators on its side in the territorial Assembly while its ally, the BJP has 6 members. There are six Independents and three nominated legislators in the 30-member House. Besides, there are three nominated members.
The opposition comprising DMK and Congress together have a strength of 8 members. The current development is also seen as having exposed the internal differences in the BJP.
There was also a demand from a section of the BJP that the high command should replace the president of the State unit of the party S Selvaganapathy for poor electoral show. Former Puducherry BJP president V Saminathan has openly demanded for removing Selvaganapathy.
(With PTI inputs)
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