Puducherry: Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and Member of Parliament V. Vaithilingam has urged Chief Minister N. Rangasamy to publicly state his government’s position on the proposed delimitation exercise by the Central government.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday (March 5, 2025), Mr. Vaithilingam pointed out that Chief Ministers from southern states have already made their stance clear, citing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s decision to convene an all-party meeting to present a united front.

He cautioned that the Chief Minister should not prioritize political alliances over the interests of Puducherry. “Mr. Rangasamy has remained silent on critical issues like the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language policy. The NEP has already been introduced in the Union Territory. Just as he allowed the implementation of CBSE in government schools, he should ensure that the proposed delimitation does not compromise Puducherry’s political representation,” Mr. Vaithilingam said.

Call for Increased Representation in Lok Sabha and Assembly

Highlighting Puducherry’s projected population of 16 lakh by 2026, he asserted that the Union Territory deserves increased representation. “Currently, states like Goa and Arunachal Pradesh, with similar population figures, have more seats in both the Lok Sabha and their respective Legislative Assemblies. Puducherry should demand an increase from one to two Lok Sabha seats and from 33 to 40 Assembly seats (30 elected and 3 nominated). The government must pass a resolution in the Assembly to formally press for this demand,” he stated.

He also called upon the Puducherry unit of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to leverage its political strength in the Assembly to pressure the ruling AINRC-BJP alliance into safeguarding Puducherry’s political future.

‘Retain Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus Name’

Speaking on infrastructure developments under the Smart City program, the PCC president opposed any potential renaming of the New Bus Stand. “The bus stand should continue to be named ‘Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus’ in honor of the former Prime Minister,” he insisted. However, he suggested that the upcoming elevated corridor could be named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a mark of respect.

Congress Confident in Winning Manavely Seat

Reacting to Speaker R. Selvam’s challenge for former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V. Narayanasamy to contest against him in Manavely, Mr. Vaithilingam dismissed the need for such a contest. “The Congress doesn’t need to field Mr. Narayanasamy to defeat the Speaker. Even an ordinary Congress worker can win against Mr. Selvam in Manavely,” he remarked.

With mounting political pressure, the coming days are expected to see key developments as Puducherry’s leadership navigates the critical issue of delimitation.