NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, JUNE 19
Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislator A John Kumar staged a dharna at the party headquarters here on Saturday urging the high command to induct him into the yet-to-be-formed NDA Ministry headed by AINRC.
Kumar and his son Richards, also a BJP legislator, airdashed to Delhi during the day and met the party general secretary B L Santhosh to urge the high command for the induction, party sources here said.
Supporters of #BJP MLA ransack BJP party office in #Puducherry.
Kamaraj Nagar constituency BJP MLA John Kumar's supporters ransacked the party office following the info that he will not be added to the cabinet. So far, None has took charge as Ministers in the UT. pic.twitter.com/3GcGmhGFYW
— Mugilan Chandrakumar (@Mugilan__C) June 19, 2021
The high command had already presented a list to the AINRC founder and Chief Minister N Rangasamy recommending names of A Namassivayam, former Industries Minister, and John Kumar for induction in the Rangasamy-led Ministry.
But the BJP top brass had later reportedly asked Rangasamy not to proceed with the list. This has raised the shackles of Kumar’s supporters here and they held the demonstration and raised slogans to have him in the Ministry.
Why had the high command asked Rangasamy not to go ahead with its list could not be known immediately. The Puducherry State BJP committee president V Saminathan was not accessible for his comments on the present development.
The NDA government headed by Rangasamy (AINRC) presently lacks a full-fledged team and he alone is looking after the administration. There was already a delay in the Ministry`s expansion because of the demand by the BJP that its legislator A Namassivayam be inducted as Deputy Chief Minister.
The AINRC had rejected the demand on the ground that never ever was there a post of Deputy Chief Minister in Puducherry.
On coming to learn about the tension in the Union Territory, Kumar called up from Delhi and asked the partymen here to drop the agitation. In the meanwhile, there was still no clear indication from the AINRC on its legislators who would be accommodated in the cabinet.
