V Narayanaswamy to be Puducherry's Chief Minister
The state party leaders had earlier been to Delhi to consult with the party high command on the choice of Chief Minister.
In Short
- Congress nominated V Narayanaswamy as CM of Puducherry.
- The opposition alleged that infighting in Congress Party.
- Former chief minister V Vaithialingam denied any rift in the party.
The grand old party today in a legislature party meeting decided to name Congress leader V Narayanaswamy as the Chief Minister of Puducherry.
The decision came after the state party leaders consulted the party high command in Delhi on the choice of chief minister.
Senior Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and party general secretary Mukul Wasnik attended the meeting as AICC observers.
The opposition parties earlier alleged that infighting in the Congress party is delaying the formation of the government in the state.
Former chief minister V Vaithialingam denied any rift in the party on the issue of Chief Minister. He justified the delay saying that Congress being a national party, has to consult central leadership before reaching at a decision.
- According to the party's central observers, Narayanasamy was elected unanimously by all the Congress legislators.
- Narayanasamy, who is also a party general secretary, did not contest the elections.
- For Narayanasamy to get elected one of the sitting legislators has to resign.
- There were three contenders for the chief minister's post - former chief minister V.Vaithilingam, party chief A.Namassivayam and Narayanasamy.
- The Congress-DMK alliance won a simple majority by bagging 17 of the 30 Assembly seats.
- Meanwhile, disappointed at the outcome, supporters of Namassivayam shouted slogans and also attacked buses on the East Coast Road.