PUDUCHERRY: Amidst speculation that public works minister A Namassivayam will quit the Congress and join the BJP, Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee president A V Subramanian sacked him from all posts in the party on Monday.
Shortly after being sacked from the party, Namassivayam called on speaker of the legislative assembly V P Sivakozhundu and submitted his resignation from ministerial and MLA posts. His supporter and Congress MLA E Theepainthan, who accompanied him, also submitted his resignation to the speaker.
With the resignation of the two MLAs, the strength of the ruling Congress party in the 30-member assembly came down to 12. Congress has the support of the DMK, which has three seats and an independent MLA from Mahe, Puducherry’s territory in Kerala. A Congress MLA was disqualified on charges of indulging in anti-party activities.
On the opposition side, All India NR Congress has seven seats and AIADMK four. Three BJP functionaries were nominated as the members of the legislative assembly. One of them passed away on January 17.
Speculations have been rife that Namassivayam, Theepainthan and a few Congress MLAs, who are also planning to quit the party, would join the BJP when BJP president J P Nadda visits the Union territory of Puducherry in a few days.