The Hindu : Front Page : Pondy Congress awaits call from AICC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 23, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Pondy Congress awaits call from AICC

S.Nadarajan

Report on number of applications received for contesting the polls sent

P. Shanmugam

Pondicherry: There has been anxious expectation among the rank and file in the ruling Congress in Pondicherry on the number of seats the party will get to contest in the Assembly polls.

The PCC headquarters received as many as 390 applications between March 10 and 16. The PCC president P.Shanmugham told The Hindu here on Wednesday that he had sent a detailed report to the AICC through an emissary on the number of applications received constituency wise. A compact disc was also presented. He said he apprised the high command of the prevailing political situation in Pondicherry.

Mr. Shanmugham said he was waiting for a formal invitation from the high command for the next phase of parleys on identifying constituencies where the party had a bright chance of winning.

The party is bound by alliance ethics to finalise the constituencies in consultation with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Pondicherry goes to polls in two phases. The first phase covering Mahe (having two segments) and Yanam (having a lone segment) is on May 3 while Pondicherry (having 21 segments) and Karaikal (with six segments) would be covered in the second phase on May 8.

Most parties lack autonomy to take decisions either in identifying the constituencies or finalising the list of candidates.

A number of parties, including the DMK, came out with plea to the election authorities that names of eligible voters deleted from the voters list be reinstated.

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