Was BJP's loss in Puducherry a result of power dynamics in the Union territory?

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, Puducherry has elected Congressman V Vaithilingam. (Courtesy: ANI)

The Union territory of Puducherry is known to elect the candidate from a party that is expected to come to power at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls, as it is heavily dependent on the grants from the Union government. Yet, in 2019 and in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls it has elected Congressman V Vaithilingam.

Though the victory could be attributed to the extensive campaigning by the Congress and its allies, especially the DMK, there was another game at play to ensure Vaithilingam's victory: a game of power dynamics by the Puducherry Chief Minister and NR Congress chief N Rangaswamy that probably resulted in the defeat of the BJP candidate A Namassivayam.

The BJP has no roots here, but has gained prominence as an ally of the NR Congress, a breakaway faction of the Congress. Namassivayam, Puducherry home minister, is a very close relative of Rangaswamy and hoped to succeed Rangaswamy as the chief minister, which was evidently not to the latter's liking.

Before the 2021 assembly election, Rangaswamy reluctantly entered into an alliance with the BJP, which had never won a seat in Puducherry before. But the BJP managed to make AIADMK a junior partner and contested nine seats, while NR Congress contested 16, in the 30-seat assembly. Following the NR Congress-BJP victory, Namassivayam wanted to become the deputy chief minister. There began the rift between himself and Rangaswamy.

Apparently, BJP wanted to manage the Puducherry administration through a deputy chief minister. When that did not happen, the Lieutenant Governor exercised a greater role in the functioning of the elected government.

When the Lok Sabha polls approached, BJP's Puducherry in-charge, Nirmal Kumar Surana, declared that BJP would contest the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Union territory, without consulting Rangaswamy. But Rangaswamy did not oppose the proposal, and instead agreed to campaign intensively for Namassivayam. Sending the latter to Delhi meant less challenge to his post, he must have calculated, or so thought those close to him.

But as it turned out, Rangaswamy's campaign for Namassivayam was not as convincing as it was thought to be. Despite the money power and administrative machinery at work, the BJP-NR Congress could not win the seat. Vaithilingam won in 28 of 30 assembly segments, including those of Rangaswamy and Namassivayam. Former chief minister and Congress leader V Narayansamy in a recent press conference pointed out that while statehood for Puducherry was the main plank on which Congress-DMK alliance fought the election, Rangaswamy not once assured the people about statehood, though he had done so before the 2021 assembly election.

"Vaithilingam is a quiet person. No way Congress could have won on its own. It looks like Rangaswamy has not campaigned for Namassivayam as well as it was thought he would," says senior journalist RK Radhakrishnan.

Instead of moving Namassivayam to Delhi, Rangaswamy has effectively undermined his position in Puducherry. Despite the Lok Sabha loss, the chief minister is in a politically stronger position in the Union territory and in the alliance.