The campaign trial in Puducherry has become a battle ground for trading charges and counter charges against each other by Union Minister V. Narayanasamy, who is the Congress candidate for Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency, and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, who has fielded former Speaker R. Radhakrishnan on behalf of the All India N.R. Congress.
The campaign, which started within a few days after the announcement of candidates by both the AINRC and the Congress, is getting intensified by the day. While Mr. Narayanasamy keeps criticising Mr. Rangasamy for not keeping his promises during the last three years of rule, Mr. Rangasamy keeps blaming the Union Minister for putting a break on his government. On complaints of lack of efforts to meet the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and others to pursue the proposals sent by the Puducherry government, Mr. Rangasamy, addressing a series of meetings held at Bahour, Kamarajar Nagar and others on Tuesday, said that there was hardly any response from the Central government on seeking its help to waive the loan to the tune of Rs. 5500 crore and Rs.500 crore for renovating Anglo Textile Mills and others.
As a Member of Parliament, Mr. Narayanasamy should have played a lead role in clearing the proposals sent by the Puducherry government. Instead, the Union Minister used his influence in the Ministry of Home Affairs to stop the proposals, Mr. Rangasamy charged.
Since the Centre threatened to stop financial grant if the Puducherry government failed to implement Value Added Tax (VAT), the administration introduced VAT. The Centre had also stopped tax holiday to industries, thereby resulting in the closure of a few industries in Puducherry. Though he brought the issue to the Centre on many occasions, Mr. Narayansamy did nothing to solve the issues, the Chief Minister said.
However, Mr. Narayanasamy, who is also campaigning in Puducherry, said that the Puducherry government had been facing a precarious financial situation owing to the inefficiency of the Chief Minister.
“Did Mr. Rangasamy approach the Prime Minister or the Finance Minister with any genuine demand during the last three years? How many times did he meet them for loan waiver? Without meeting anyone, how can he claim that the Centre didn’t come to rescue,” Mr. Narayanasamy asked.
Terming Mr. Rangasamy a “non-performer,” Mr. Narayanasamy said that the Chief Minister didn’t even attend the important National Development Council Meeting to decide the budget size. No government in the country would give proposal downsising the Plan allocation than the previous years. But, Mr. Rangasamy did it, Mr. Narayanasamy said.
