Congress veteran and former Union Minister of State V. Narayanasamy tells R. Sivaraman about the party’s stand on Statehood, the reasons for the 2011 debacle and the bright prospects for the Congress in this elections.
There are allegations that when you were Union Minister, you failed to take any action to accord the statehood to Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry and also stood in the way of funds flowing from Centre to UT. What is your response to those allegations?
VN: It is an absolutely false statement. Congress party’s policy is that special status should be given to UT. We are not in favour of statehood which will be disadvantageous to UT. In case of UT getting statehood, we will get only thirty per cent grant in the budget and have to mobilise 70 per cent from our own sources. The special status means seventy per cent grant will come from Government of India and only 30 per cent, we have to mobilise. Puducherry starved of fund and tourism now is in bad shape. Therefore, we want special status for Puducherry. We never supported the statehood which was mooted by the Chief Minister N.Rangasamy.
For the last two years, I have neither been holding any government position nor was the member of Parliament. During 2014 parliamentary elections, Mr. Rangasamy promised statehood, waiver of Rs.6500 crore loans, special grant of Rs.2000 crore from Union Government and more industries. The Chief Minister could not fulfil the promises. For the last two years, I have not stopped anything. Where did I stop and when did I do that? As MP, I brought the NIT with support of our UPA Government, 10 trains to Puducherry and seven trains to Karaikal. Rs.800 crore has been sanctioned by Government of India for the construction of medical college and Rs.300 crore for protected water supply scheme in seven Assembly constituencies.
During Congress regime, we got Rs.900 crore towards the tsunami relief fund and Rs.200 crore for Thane cyclone relief whereas the Chief Minister has not received adequate fund from Narendra Modi Government for flood relief even though his party supports the Central government unconditionally.
UT was the bastion of Congress for several years; what was the mistake done by Congress to lose power in 2011?
Our Congress government did a lot of works. We brought Government-run Indira Gandhi Medical College, Women and Children hospital, bridges, indoor stadium and Rs.400 crore for modernisation of Jipmer and Central University. Though we got several things done during our regime but we did not convince the people and did not propagate our achievements properly. Our ministers’ lethargic attitude towards the public was also one of the reasons. Mr. Rangasamy, when he was Chief Minister, was removed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi for he was working against the party’s interest. So, he got sympathy. These factors cumulatively made us to lose in the last elections.
What has been the Congress strategy in this campaign?
We are focused on issues that we have been highlighting during last five years as an effective Opposition party and exposing the corruption in Mr. Rangasamy’s government. We also have highlighted the closure of private industries and public sector units in the states and mismanagement of the cooperative institutions and the failure of government administration, mismanagement of funds and diversion of funds.
What is the poll plank?
If we come to power, we will remove the rot in the governance structure and streamline the administration. We will push for more funds from the Central government for overall development including infrastructural development. We will also secure assistance from the Union Textile Ministry to revive the mills.
What are the chances of Congress coming back to power?
I visited up to 21 constituencies till now. The response from voters is very good for Congress and DMK. People everywhere say that Mr. Rangasamy totally failed to fulfil the promises, the development is stagnant and law and order has deteriorated. The people are not happy with present ruling government. Therefore, the Congress and the DMK alliance winning the election is very bright.
There were expectations that you would be contesting the polls.
As far as I am concerned whatever the personal wishes and aspirations I have, I will go by the decision of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Any aspiration of becoming Chief Minister?
No. The Chief Minister’s post is not my cup of tea. However, it is up to the Congress leadership to decide who should become the Chief Minister.
Is it true that there is no consensus among the top leaders on Chief Ministerial candidate and that is the reason you did not announce a Chief Ministerial candidate?
We have got a procedure. The elected representatives will elect the person concerned and then send the report to the high command. The observers will come and they will send the recommendation to the leadership. Then Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will decide who will lead our government.
Will the Kannan factor play a spoilsport against the Congress party?
I don’t think so. He was in the Congress. Congress leadership gave him Rajya Sabha seat and thereafter he was not able to fulfil the wishes and aspirations of State. As a member of Parliament, he had not delivered what he had to deliver. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he openly worked against me even though he was a Congress MP. Then he suddenly joined the AIADMK. Nobody can do anything to stop the victory of Congress party this time.
There is a whisper campaign in AIADMK and AINRC circles that Mr. Rangasamy would approach Sonia Gandhi to enable him to become Chief Minister again if he wins five seats or less.
I don’t want respond to wild speculation. It is for our leadership to decide.
