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Congress cadres close ranks for DPA victory in Pondy

By S. Nadarajan

PONDICHERRY, APRIL 23. The Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Bharatiya Janata party have fielded their candidates for the lone Pondicherry Lok Sabha seat, the election to which is scheduled on May 10.

While, the PMK candidate, M Ramadoss, has the backing of the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the two Communist parties, the BJP's Lalitha Kumaramangalam, party's national secretary, enjoys the support of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Although a separate Union Territory constitutionally, no party in Pondicherry has autonomy politically to take a decision on its own. No regional party has developed roots here and even those parties that were formed had short-lived existence. The present line up is also in keeping with the arrangements finalised in Tamil Nadu.

The Union Territory has 6.36 lakh voters spread over Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Although the rank and file of the Congress initially resisted the allocation of the seat to the PMK as per the decision of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), everything had virtually become a forgotten past. Now their goal is to make the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, as the next Prime Minister and towards this end the DPA constituents are working.

Although the DMK, the PMK, the MDMK and the CPI and the CPI (M) use their lungpower to the maximum to haul up either the BJP or the AIADMK, these parties do not project the achievements of the Rangasamy-led government in Pondicherry. The performance of the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu had been brought into critical evaluation at the public meetings or at the workers' meetings of the DPA.

Similarly the AIADMK and the BJP train their guns either at the DMK or the Congress without raising any accusing finger at the Pondicherry government.

The polling pattern would be normally different between rural and urban pockets. Rural and semi-urban pockets in previous elections registered brisk polling even before the closing time and urban areas presented a lacklustre picture.

The DPA is comparatively a stronger alliance and the sway each of the constituent parties has on the people is also a factor that should not fail the attention of poll observers.

The assumption is that the present line up will continue for the future polls also.

The strain faced by the parties is heavy, as the candidates have to work out their strategies according to the geographical location and political environment prevailing in the regions constituting the Union Territory.

With constituencies being relatively smaller in size (than what one can see in bigger States) door-to-door canvassing would contribute a lot to strengthen the prospects of the candidates.

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