The Puducherry unit of the BJP has decided to contest the civic body polls on its own.
The party will not be contesting the civic body polls in alliance with the All India NR Congress (AINRC), the political outfit of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy or with the AIADMK.
Buoyed by its success in the four Assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa, the party has decided that there was no need to contest in alliance and to fight the ensuing Civic body polls on its own.
Party sources in the Union Territory told IANS that the Party national organising secretary B.L. Santosh and party in charge of Puducherry Nirmal Kumar Surana had attended a meeting of the party office-bearers on Saturday.
Nirmal Kumar Surana while speaking to IANS said: “The party local leaders are of the opinion that we contest the polls alone and not in alliance with any other party. This would give us a grassroot connect with the masses and in the long run, this will be highly beneficial for the party.”
The BJP local leaders, including the powerful Education minister A. Namassivayam of the BJP, are unhappy over the style of functioning of the Chief Minister Rangasamy who, according to the BJP leaders, has been taking important administrative decisions on his own without consulting the BJP.
Surana said that as the country was heading towards a Congress-mukt Bharat, Puducherry is also heading towards a Congress-mukt state and for that, the BJP wants to have its own strength. He said that the party cadres and sympathisers are already prepared to fight the polls alone.
The party leaders are also unhappy that Rangasamy has not yet called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after assuming office as Chief Minister. The local leadership of the BJP does want to gain strength at the grassroots level and civic body polls will provide the best understanding of the grassroots strength of the party.
BJP leaders are also buoyed by the fact that it has won 6 out of the 9 seats it has contested. The party has also three nominated MLAs and three independents supporting the party. This takes the total tally of BJP to 12 in the state Assembly.
Surana said that the party wants to capitalise on the wave it has got among the public after the elections to the five state assemblies and for that contesting the local polls on its own was the best move.