Seat-sharing negotiations in Puducherry’s two major political blocs remain stuck, triggering fresh uncertainty ahead of the 16th Assembly election scheduled for April 9.
In the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the N.R. Congress, an understanding was said to be emerging to split the 30 seats with N.R. Congress taking 16 and the BJP and other partners sharing 14. However, tensions escalated after the BJP moved to bring the Lakshya Jana Nayaka Party, started by industrialist Jose Charles Martin, into the alliance.
Chief Minister Rangasamy, who leads the N.R. Congress, strongly opposed the move and announced he would exit the alliance. The BJP leadership has been attempting to persuade him, but he has not accepted the outreach, raising questions over whether the N.R. Congress–BJP partnership will continue.
Amid the speculation, Rangasamy left on Tuesday evening for Salem’s Appa Paithiyasaamy temple with a candidate list, further fuelling doubts about the alliance’s future.
Confusion has also surfaced within the INDIA bloc, where friction between the Congress and the DMK over leadership has continued into seat-sharing talks. With no final alliance announcement from party high commands, DMK candidates filed nominations in three constituencies and the Congress in one, a move that has added to voter uncertainty.
