V. Vaithilingam, sitting MP and the Congress candidate contesting from the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat, has received a boost ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary elections, with Independent legislator G. Nehru alias Kuppusamy and several civil society groups, including Tamil outfits extending support to the INDIA bloc.
“Earlier, we wanted to a field a candidate in the Puducherry seat. Since time is short, we have decided to extend support to the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections,” Mr Nehru said addressing a press conference along with representatives of various organisations, on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Mr. Nehru is a supporter of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and after the 2021 Assembly elections he had extended support to the Chief Minister’s AINRC in the ruling National Democratic Alliance bloc in the Puducherry Assembly.
Without mentioning Congress candidate Mr Vaithilingam’s name at the press conference, the Independent legislator said: “Our support is for the INDIA alliance because the parties aligned with the bloc uphold secular values. The Congress is also at fault for not getting Statehood for Puducherry. But, the DMK in the INDIA bloc has promised to get Statehood. We are also thankful to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami for extending support to the Statehood demand,” he said.
Mr Nehru and the civil society groups have been at the forefront of agitations demanding Statehood for Puducherry in recent months.
