PUDUCHERRY: All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder president N Rangasamy has started feeling the heat of leading a coalition government within a month after assuming charge as the chief minister of the Union territory of Puducherry.
Rangasamy was sworn in as the chief minister on May 7 after the AINRC-led democratic progressive alliance garnered a simple majority winning 16 s of the total 30 seats in the legislative assembly.
However, he could not arrive at a consensus with his major ally BJP in sharing the cabinet and his major announcement of Rs 3,000 as Covid-19 lockdown relief for all ration cardholders amid fanfare continues to remain on paper.
In the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, DMK president M K Stalin took oath as the chief minister along with 33 of his cabinet colleagues on the same day (May 7) and announced Rs 4,000 as lockdown relief.
The DMK government has started disbursing the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to the beneficiaries.
The AINRC and the BJP initially poohpooed charges of the opposition parties – the DMK and the Congress — that power tussles within the ruling coalition are affecting governance, But later the BJP said there were differences and claimed that the two parties made a few sacrifices to expedite the expansion of the cabinet, sharing of portfolios and selection of the speaker of the legislative assembly.
BJP legislature party leader A Namassivayam on Sunday claimed that the two parties have arrived at a consensus and added that the chief minister will make an announcement soon.
“We have made a few sacrifices for the sake of territory’s growth and development.
We are not after power and position.
BJP and AINRC have come forward to make a few sacrifices and strive hard to implement various welfare schemes,” said Namassivayam.
An AINRC functionary said the BJP has finally dropped its major demand for a deputy chief minister post.
However, the BJP stuck to its guns on the speaker’s post.
“They (BJP) were very aggressive initially and wanted three ministerial berths including a deputy chief minister post.
Moreover, they set their eyes on all plum portfolios.
It took us time to make them realize that they could win six seats because of NR’s (Rangasamy) alliance,” said the functionary.
DMK converer (south) and Villianur MLA R Siva regretted that the NDA constituents have been fighting over posts for the past one month when people in Puducherry faced untold miseries in the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The NDA must take a cue from the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and provide the lockdown relief and essential groceries through the fair price shops,” Siva said.