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Pondicherry Assembly to meet on May 29

S. Nadarajan

A.V. Sreedharan appointed pro tem speaker

PONDICHERRY: Lt. Governor M.M. Lakhera has convened the first meeting of the new Pondicherry Assembly on May 29 on the recommendation of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy.

A.V. Sreedharan, appointed pro tem speaker by the Lt. Governor on Thursday, will administer the oath of office to the newly elected legislators, according to Secretary to Assembly, M. Sivaprakasam. Five Ministers will be inducted into the minority Congress Government.

In the recent Assembly elections, the Democratic Progressive Alliance comprising the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Communist Party of India won 20 seats in the 30-member House. The alliance took the decision that the Congress, the single largest party with 10 MLAs, would form the government, with the other constituents rendering unconditional support from outside. The DMK has seven members, while the PMK two and the CPI one. The three Independents have also pledged support.

The Opposition comprises the AIADMK and the Puducherry Munnetra Congress with three members each and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (a constituent of the AIADMK -ed front) with one MLA.

Meanwhile, a controversy on which party should be given the status of Opposition has erupted. The AIADMK has staked claim, with its legislature party leader A. Anbalagan presenting a detailed petition to the Lt. Governor. However, Congress general secretary A. Gandhiraj has said that the DMK had more MLAs. Hence, it was eligible for the status of Opposition.

Mr. Anbalagan said it would be a mockery of democracy if the DMK was given the status. The DMK could not be expected to be a friend and adversary of the Congress at the same time. Further, the Congress was forming a minority government with the support of the DMK and other alliance partners.

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