Namassivayam to help BJP colour Puducherry saffron?

PUDUCHERRY: After waiting for a whole day at the national capital on Wednesday, former PWD Minister of Puducherry A Namassivayam and former MLA S Theepainthan joined the BJP in the presence of party National President JP Nadda at the BJP headquarters on Thursday. He also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah before taking the flight back to the Union Territory.

The BJP is expected to gain a foothold in Puducherry with Namassivayam in its fold. Party sources claimed that now many more MLAs are going to join the BJP. “By the time Nadda visits Puducherry, the ruling alliance would have lost many legislators. As many as 16 Congress office-bearers who quit the party following Namassivayam’s exit will officially join BJP on Sunday,” they added.

Though insiders claim BJP wants to project Namassivayam as the alliance’s Chief Minister face, it may not be acceptable to the NR Congress and AIADMK, which unlike the BJP have elected MLAs in Puducherry.  “More senior leaders are expected to join our party soon, and hence when alliance talks commence, we will be in a strong position to call the shots,” BJP sources said.

Will Opposition leader and former chief minister N Rangasamy toe BJP’s line is the million-dollar question now.  When recently asked who would be the alliance’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Rangasamy said, “We will discuss with leaders of all parties in the alliance and then decide.”

The road back
The 52-year-old legislator started his political career in the nineties with the DMK. He subsequently switched over to MDMK. When veteran leader P Kannan floated the TMC, Namassivayam joined TMC and won for the first time from Oulgaret in 2001. Following the merger of TMC with Congress, he became a Congress member.