Rahul Gandhi to visit Puducherry as Narayanasamy faces defections

Gandhi's visit comes at a time when chief minister V Narayanasamy is facing a number of defections; his close aide and fellow minister A John Kumar of the Congress resigned as MLA on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress' Wayanad MP, is visiting Puducherry on Wednesday to review his party’s preparations for the upcoming Puducherry Legislative Assembly elections which will take place later this year.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addresses the media at a presser (HT Archive)

Gandhi's visit comes at a time when chief minister V Narayanasamy is facing a number of defections; his close aide and fellow minister A John Kumar of the Congress resigned as MLA on Tuesday.

Gandhi will interact with members of the fishermen community at north Solai Nagar’s Papammal Kovil. The former Congress president will also interact with students of Puducherry’s Bharathidasan College. Following his interaction with the students, he will address a public meeting at the AFT Grounds in Mudaliarpet.

Rahul Gandhi may discuss the developments in Puducherry with Narayanasamy as the Congress-led government in Puducherry faces a test to survive with its majority being reduced to 14 MLAs. Ahead of John Kumar’s resignation, ministers A Namassivayam and E Theeppainjan also resigned from their posts and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party last month.

Earlier this week, Malladi Krishna Rao also resigned from the government as well as from his MLA post. Former minister Namassivayam had accused the chief minister of not letting senior leaders express themselves following his resignation.

In a separate set of developments, Puducherry governor Kiran Bedi was relieved from her post as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Earlier in February, the Puducherry CM had petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind against the lieutenant governor seeking her recall from the post. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has been given the additional charge of Puducherry until regular arrangements for the office of the lieutenant-governor are made, the Rahstrapati Bhavan said in a statement.