Puducherry: Congress tries to win back sole MP seat

Chennai: A Congress bastion for several decades, Puducherry had voted for the All India NR Congress, a splinter group of the Congress, in 2014. AINRC’s R Radhakrishnan won against the Congress candidate by a 60,000 margin. The Congress is trying to wrest the seat from AINRC, which sided with the NDA.

The Congress has fielded V Vaithilingam (69) against AINRC’s K Narayanasamy, a young medical doctor. Election to the lone seat will focus on full statehood for the Union Territory. Puducherry CM V Narayansamy had launched a protest in February outside Lt Governor Kiran Bedi’s residence against her interference in governance.

Lack of jobs and healthcare are other key issues. Puducherry has been facing rising debt and lowerthan-expected central devolution of taxes, which have hit social initiatives. Over nine lakh voters from Puducherry will vote in the second phase on April 18.