Media persons covering the meeting of Congress MLAs to elect the legislature party leader at a hotel in Kalapet on Saturday were in the dark as there was no proper briefing on the agenda of the meeting.
It was out of importance of the event did the reporters line up at the entrance of the hotel and were making arrangements to cover the meeting. However, the reporters were getting only hearsay information and had to wait for hours together at the venue since morning.
The police were also alert to ensure that no reporter got into the hotel. Tourists from Chennai, Bengaluru and Kerala, who had booked rooms in the hotel were also shocked to find the confusion that prevailed on the premises, virtually tarnishing the image of Puducherry as a peaceful tourist destination.
Rangasamy undecided
The Congress, which has emerged the single largest party, has finalised the Chief Minister, but the All India NR Congress (AINRC) which has been pushed to Opposition is yet to decide or make announcement on the Leader of Opposition.
Mr. Rangasamy has been maintaining steady silence ever since the party’s bitter defeat in the elections. Barring Mr. Rangasamy, the AINRC doest not have any senior legislator to take on the Congress in the House. It may be recalled that after Mr. Rangasamy was removed from the post of Chief Minister during his tenure in Congress in 2008, he preferred not to attend the Assembly proceedings and had not evinced interest to participate in debates.
Speculations are rife that he would not visit the Assembly and would prefer to deploy someone in his party as Leader of Opposition.
(Reporting by S. Prasad and R. Sivaraman)
