Wed Mar 05 09:41:43 UTC 2025: **Puducherry Congress Chief Demands Clarification on Delimitation from CM**

PUDUCHERRY, March 5, 2025 – V. Vaithilingam, Member of Parliament and president of the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), has demanded that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy publicly state his position on the central government’s proposed delimitation exercise. Addressing a press conference today, Vaithilingam criticized Rangasamy for remaining silent on the issue, contrasting his silence with the proactive stances taken by Chief Ministers in other southern states, including Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin who convened an all-party meeting.

Vaithilingam expressed concern that Rangasamy’s alliance with the BJP might lead him to disregard Puducherry’s interests. He pointed to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language policy as examples of the government’s alleged capitulation to central directives without sufficient consideration for local concerns.

Vaithilingam argued that Puducherry’s population density warrants an increase in its representation in both the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly. He called for the Assembly to pass a resolution advocating for two Lok Sabha seats (up from one) and 40 Assembly seats (up from 33), reflecting the projected population of 1.6 million by 2026. He cited Goa and Arunachal Pradesh as examples of states with similar populations but greater representation.

He further urged the DMK to leverage its Assembly strength to pressure the AINRC-BJP government on delimitation and the three-language policy. Finally, Vaithilingam opposed any renaming of the Rajiv Gandhi bus terminus, currently under redevelopment, and suggested naming the proposed elevated corridor after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He confidently asserted that the Congress party could easily win the Manavely constituency even without fielding former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy against the current Speaker.

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