Rajagopal P Swamy(Special Correspondent)
PUDUCHERRY:The ruling AINRC-BJP alliance in Puducherry has spiralled into a governance paralysis, with intense internal friction pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a defensive corner.
At the center of the political storm is Home Minister A. Namassivayam,whose tactical overreaches and covert electoral maneuvers are blamed by party insiders for triggering the current alliance deadlock and collapsing the BJP’s winning momentum.
In a dramatic development,a cornered Namassivayam recently met with the Puducherry BJP’s Super Boss, reportedly offering a”total surrender”and expressing deep regret over past political strategies that left the saffron party vulnerable to Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s dominant maneuvers.
The discontent within the BJP ranks has reached a boiling point.Party workers are openly pointing fingers at Namassivayam’s “greed”for the party’s diminished strength in the Union Territory.
In the assembly elections, the BJP’s strength fell from six seats to four a major shock to the central leadership.
High-profile losses, including those of Speaker Embalam R. Selvam, BJP State President V.P.Ramalingam,have been laid squarely along side Former Minister Chandra Priyanka at Namassivayam’s doorstep.
Critics argue that appointing Ramalingam very much obedient to all the parties, who lacks extensive political experience, as the state chief severely crippled the party’s winning prospects.
The Cadre’s Demand:To salvage the party’s future in the upcoming Parliamentary and Assembly elections,a strong faction within the BJP is demanding that Namassivayam be stripped of his ministerial portfolio and sent back to head the party organization full-time to repair the damage.
If he secure more than 15 seats for BJP in next election may be considered for Chief Ministership.
Namassivayam,a prominent Vanniyar(Chatriya)face who entered politics riding on a strong youth following, is also Chief Minister Rangasamy’s nephew-in-law. However, their relationship has been historically volatile.
Namassivayam was instrumental in ousting Rangasamy from the Chief Minister’s post during the mid of 2004 and 2009 Congress regimes a betrayal Rangasamy avenged by launching the AINRC and capturing power independently.
During the latest elections, this deep-seated animosity resurfaced as foul play.
Campaign Boycott:
Chief Minister Rangasamy completely refrained from campaigning in any BJP constituencies,including Namassivayam’s Mannadipet seat,forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to campaign without local alliance backing.
Proxy Wars:Both sides reportedly funded and fielded independent candidates against each other’s official nominees,with Namassivayam bankrolling rebels to deliberately undercut the AINRC’s strength.BJP can medel him if they want to break NR Congress alliance.
Demoralized by the infighting,party cadre worked purely out of compulsion rather than enthusiasm.
Two-Month Governance Deadlock
Though the alliance managed to retain power at least in south india and Rangasamy took the oath as Chief Minister for a fifth time,governance has ground to a halt.
For over two months,the five inducted ministers have remained “ministers without portfolios”due to a bitter, unresolved tug-of-war.
Namassivayam has been using family channels to pressure Rangasamy into allocating him the powerful Home and Excise portfolios (National Party should check all the central agency reports),which the Chief Minister is flatly refusing to concede.
Furthermore, a constitutional crisis looms large: the Assembly must be convened by August, but the election of the Speaker remains stuck.
The BJP is demanding the post, while Rangasamy is fiercely lobbying to hand it to AIADMK’s Anbalagan. (While the party lost everything in Tamilnadu).
Driven into a corner by Rangasamy’s resistance and facing isolation from his own party,Namassivayam recently called on the Puducherry BJP’s Super Boss.
Far from a routine courtesy call,sources reveal Namassivayam admitted his failure to build the party independently,expressing regret for not listening to the Super Boss’s past advice to break free from the alliance and contest alone.
BJP Super Boss reportedly delivered a blunt, no-nonsense assessment of the situation,”What is the use of wisdom coming too late?.
I had short-listed 21 capable candidates to ensure the BJP could contest independently and strengthen its roots.
Today,those candidates are sitting in the Assembly representing other parties.A true leader takes far-sighted decisions based on state development and public expectations like Mr Modi,not short-term adjustments”.
Super Boss further questioned how a national ruling party, holding the positions of Home Minister,Speaker, and State President,allowed itself to be dictated to by the Chief Minister of a small Union Territory.
He criticized the local leadership for constantly singing praises of Rangasamy,elevating him to the status of a “living god,”while effectively weakening the BJP’s foundational strength.
Following the dressing down,Namassivayam has reportedly vowed to dedicate his efforts to rebuilding the BJP as an independent force capable of forming a government on its own in the future. But BJP should go through his history.
However,the road ahead is steep.Insiders note that the BJP national leadership had initially hesitated to even grant Namassivayam a ticket for Mannadipet this season.
Accused of focusing heavily on his private businesses, real estate ventures,and foreign travels at the expense of party building,Namassivayam now finds himself in a high-stakes battle not just for his political survival,but for the very relevance of the BJP in Puducherry.
