Congress chief blasts DMK for wobbling as Puducherry’s principal opposition

At a rather tense press conference in the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee office on Saturday, Lok Sabha MP V. Vaithilingam didn’t mince words. He argued that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), despite being the designated principal opposition, has largely blended into the background of the ruling AINRC‑BJP coalition.

“It has become almost impossible to tell who’s in the government and who’s in the opposition when you watch the Assembly proceedings,” Vaithilingam said, his voice edged with frustration. “The DMK has simply not lived up to its responsibility.”

Beyond the DMK’s alleged lethargy, the Congress leader turned his spotlight onto the Union Territory’s own administration. He reminded the media that the Justice Sasidharan Commission had already handed over a report urging reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in municipal and commune panchayat elections. Yet, to date, the government has not even appointed a State Election Commissioner, a legal requirement that, according to Vaithilingam, is holding the polls hostage.

“Chief Minister N. Rangasamy keeps talking about statehood as a way to empower the elected government, but the real empowerment – devolution of power to local bodies – is missing,” he added, pausing as if weighing his next point.

Vaithilingam also criticized the AINRC‑BJP alliance for what he called a glaring neglect: the long‑standing demand for a Madras High Court bench in Puducherry. “Look at Ladakh,” he exclaimed, “a union territory with a fraction of our population already got a High Court bench. Why should Puducherry wait any longer?”

In a move that signals a shift from rhetoric to action, the Congress announced it would launch an agitation demanding both a timely local‑body election and the setting up of the High Court bench. “We will not let these issues slip away,” the MP concluded, his tone firm but tinged with the familiar political resolve that often follows a press conference.

As the political drama unfolds, Puducherry’s voters watch closely, aware that the tug‑of‑war between opposition parties may very well decide the pace of governance in their tiny union territory.