Cong. delegation to meet Moopanar today

By. S. Nadarajan

PONDICHERRY, MAY 14. A delegation of Congress leaders will meet the TMC chief, Mr.G.K. Moopanar, in Chennai tomorrow.

The delegation comprising the Chief Minister, Mr.P. Shanmugham, the PCC leader, Mr.V. Narayanaswamy, and the former Chief Ministers, Mr.M.O.H. Farook, MP, and Mr.V. Vaithilingam, would discuss the formalities for the Congress-led secular front to form the next Government in the Union Territory, Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

The party high command would seek the AIADMK's support. A party observer would attend the meeting of legislators to elect Congress Legislature party leader before meeting the Lt. Governor to stake the party's claim on formation of government.

The Congress has 11 members in the Assembly, while the TMC has two. As the combine needs three more to form the Government, the AIADMK's support is necessary. The Shanmugham Government had the AIADMK support extended from outside.

A spokesman of the NDA said a meeting of the MLAs of the front would be held shortly. The NDA has 12 members - the DMK seven, the PMC four and the BJP one.

The results have come on expected lines. As expected Yanam and Ariankuppam retured Independents.

Ariankuppam is a vanniar segment. There was expectation that the constituency would support the PMK candidate, Mr.R.Anandharaman, a relative of the PMK leader, Dr.S. Ramadoss. Mr.T.Jayamoorthy, who won in the segment was denied ticket by the DMK.

The PMC expected that it would be allotted Oulgaret. But the DMK has fielded Mr.N.Balane. The TMC nominee Mr. A. Namasivayam, wrested it from the AIADMK.

Had the AIADMK and the Congress remained together, they would have secured more than 20 seats, Congress sources argued today.

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Section  : State Elections
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