The State head of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, R.K.R. Anandaraman, has announced that he would contest the Puducherry seat alone, regardless of any alliance made in Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Anandaraman announced his candidature and said that the PMK in Puducherry would not join hands with the BJP or any other party, even if the Tamil Nadu PMK leaders decided to go with a BJP-led alliance.
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone, he said that this decision was not unprecedented. The Puducherry unit of the PMK had its own general body and its own senior leaders. They have the freedom to take their own decisions. In 2001, for example, the Tamil Nadu unit of the PMK had formed an alliance with the Congress. But, the PMK’s alliance was with the AIADMK in Puducherry.
When contacted, State president of the Bharathiya Janatha Party S. Visweswaran said that the BJP’s decision to form an alliance with the PMK or the NR Congress had not been finalised. The leaders were meeting on Sunday and a decision would be taken.
Negotiations, however, would be for the Puducherry seat and a decision would not be taken excluding this one seat, he said.
According to a senior politician, the NR Congress stood to lose if the PMK withdrew from an alliance with them. So far, the NR Congress had banked on getting votes from the Vanniar community. But, by announcing a non-Vanniar candidate and with the PMK withdrawing from the alliance, a majority of these votes would go to other parties.
According to general secretary of the NR Congress V. Bhalan, no decision had been taken so far and they were expecting a decision from the BJP on Sunday. Following this, they would hold a meeting on Monday to decide their stand on the issue.
