Puducherry BJP begins preparations for local polls with Shah's visit

Buoyed up by the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP here has commenced preparations for the local polls.

Shah was in Puducherry on Sunday to participate in a few programmes, including a meeting with the BJP office-bearers.

The BJP had declared earlier that it would go alone in the local body polls to be announced soon.

It may be noted that all is not well between the All India NR Congress (AINRC) led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and the Puducherry BJP in the NDA alliance that is ruling the union territory. The BJP Puducherry unit has already announced that it would be fighting the ensuing local body elections on its own.

The Chief Minister after assuming office on May 21 last year has not paid a visit to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and the state BJP is sore that the Chief Minister has his own agenda.

Rangasamy had complained to the central leadership of the BJP over its keeping him in the dark regarding the announcement of three nominated MLCs to the Puducherry Assembly taking the number of the BJP to 9 in the 33-member Assembly. The BJP had taken the decision while Rangasami was convalescing in a hospital in Chennai due to Covid-19 days after his swearing-in ceremony.

Sources in the BJP told IANS that the Union home minister had given the go-ahead to the party's local leadership to fight on their own in the ensuing local body elections. Amit Shah, according to the BJP leaders privy to the meeting of party office-bearers, told IANS, "Amit Shahji was optimistic of the party doing well in the ensuing local body polls and he has asked us to go by the decision of the local leadership. He has also conveyed that the party national leadership would provide all the help necessary to script success in the elections."

BJP state leaders and the party national leader in-charge of Puducherry, Nirmal Kumar Surana met the Union home minister, and a presentation regarding the local body elections was given to him. Party sources said that while continuing alliance with the AINRC of N. Rangasami was important at this juncture, the saffron party wants to wriggle out of the alliance in long term and to project it as a natural claimant for the Chief Minister's post in the Union territory.

Amit Shah has, according to local BJP leaders, assured them of the Union government announcing several central schemes to the territory, thereby, increasing the money flow to the state. BJP local leaders were told by the Union Home minister to convey the various schemes and positive developments that are taking place.

The Union home minister, sources said, also communicated to the party leaders as to how the party has won in the recent elections held in states and to chalk out a proper plan and implement it to win the local body polls in Puducherry.