Campaigning peaks in UT as leaders work hard to woo voters

Loud speaker fitted vehicles are all over the town and canvassing for their respective party candidates while the candidates preferred a door-to-door campaign.

Because of the scorching heat, candidates preferred canvassing in the morning and evening and taking rest at noon time. While, the Congress party is canvassing by stating that the Congress-DMK government was not allowed to function allegedly by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre through the then Lt Governor and its achievements in spite of all odds.

The BJP which is desperately trying to lay its foot in the UT is promising the people of development if the same party is in power at the Centre and in State. The party is urging people to vote for a change. The saffron party which contested the last assembly election alone in all the 30 assembly constituencies and lost all of them is contesting this time in alliance with the N R Congress, the main opposition party and AIADMK.

In its desperate attempt to come to power, at least in alliance with the NR congress which the party assumes as its stepping stone for its efforts in Tamil Nadu, is leaving no stone unturned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (twice), Amit Shah (twice), JP Nadda , Nirmala Sitaraman, Giriraj Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal and a team of BJP activists from Karnataka, besides party in charge here Nirmal Kumar Sunrana have campaigned for the BJP candidates.

On the other hand, DMK President MK Stalin, former Union Minister Veerappa Moily and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are among others undertook campaign for the Secural Democratic Alliance (SDA) and urged the people not to allow the BJP to come to power in the UT as it coming to power means Puducherry will lose its separate identity, communal harmony and peace.

The NR Congress, while undertaking electioneering did not use the BJP flags or the photographs of the party leaders and are canvassing only in the constituencies where the NR Congress are contesting.

The election campaign will come to a close at 7pm on Sunday. As many as 10,03,681 voters will decide the electoral fortune of 324 candidates in the fray. The main contestants include former Chief Minister and NR Congress President N Rangaswamy, who is contesting from Thattanchavady as well as from Yanam constituencies, former Ministers Shajahan, Kamalakannan, A Namassivayam, Panneerselvam and Kalyanasundaram, PCC President AV Subramanian and several ex-legislators.While the BJP and AIADMK failed to field any women candidates, the Congress gave ticket to the sitting member Vijayaveni and N R Congress to two women candidates. The Naam Tamizhar Katchi gave chance to 14 women and the Makkal Needi Maiam (MNM) to three women.

Of the 14 seats, the Congress is contesting, the party has fielded five new faces and is supporting an independent in Yanam while, the DMK gave tickets to seven new faces of the 13 seats the party is contesting and three new faces are from BJP.

Of the contestants, Rangaswamy, Mr AV Subramanian and Marimuthu contesting (Nedungadu constituency) are above 60 years of age while BJP candidate V Richards contesting (Nellithoppe constituency) is the youngest one.

Though an intensive campaigning was undertaken, the character of the candidates and money will determine the victory of any candidate in the UT.