The ruling Congress, along with its alliance partners, is set to take the battle for Statehood for Puducherry to the national capital by organising a protest, for the first time, at Jantar Mantar on January 4.
The first batch of politicians belonging to major parties, barring the principal Opposition All India N.R. Congress, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Wednesday left for New Delhi by train.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam and Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan were at the railway station to see off 380 workers from various political parties.
Another batch
Another 40 workers left from the Chennai Central Station to New Delhi on Wednesday. Another batch of leaders, including the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs would leave from Chennai airport on Thursday. The protest would be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Secretary to Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan told The Hindu .
Apart from Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the ruling party has invited national leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress, the Telugu Desam Party, the National Conference and other like-minded parties to participate in the agitation.
Mr. Lakshminarayanan said the Chief Minister had sought an appointment with the Union Home Minister for handing over a copy of the Statehood resolution adopted at an all-party meeting convened here last month. The plan for a protest in New Delhi was finalised at the all-party meeting, he added.
