Pondicherry: The ruling Congress is concerned about some of its influential persons jumping into the coming Assembly polls as Independents. This has virtually caused embarrassment to the officially sponsored candidates of either the Congress or those fielded by the alliance partners.

An informed source in the Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee told The Hindu on Friday that the practical situation should be taken into consideration for the inability of the party to ensure accommodation to those who have now turned rebels since only 16 seats available.

Accepting that certain constituencies had unexpectedly been allotted to some of the constituents in the DPA, the source said that the ultimate aim of party men should be to ensure victory of the DPA candidates.

Efforts to persuade the rebels to withdraw their nominations would be continued. There might be difficulties in convincing some of those who have turned dissidents. (Vice president of the PCC V Sabapathy had filed nomination as an Independent in his hometown of Modeliarpet. Mr. Sabapathy faces challenge in the constituency from PMC leader P Kannan on the one side and Dr M A S Subramanian of DMK, who is seeking to retain the seat for the second time in succession, from the other. Mr. Sabapathy had quit the post of vice president in the Congress.

One N. Rajaram Reddiar of Mannadipet, who initially expected that the constituency would be allotted to the Congress, and that he would get an opportunity. He was an MLA on the Congress ticket from Mannadipet in 1991.

Now the constituency had after certain developments been earmarked to Pattali Makkal Katchi. The disappointed Reddiar has filed nominations as an Independent.

There is also a dissident DMK candidate, A Marimuthu, in Neduncadu reserved constituency in Karaikal. Congress sources said that they would be able to succeed to persuade these rebels to abstain from contesting and strive for the win of the DPA. This could be achieved before April 24, which is the last date to withdraw nominations, the sources claimed.

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