Sun May 25 19:07:45 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version formatted as a news article:

**Summary:**

The Communist Party of India (CPI) in Puducherry is demanding that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy prioritize the fight for statehood, even if it means ending his alliance with the BJP. The CPI criticizes Rangasamy for continuing to partner with the BJP, which has explicitly denied statehood for Puducherry. The party also passed resolutions on strengthening anti-corruption efforts, creating a Staff Selection Board, ensuring free education for Dalit and ST students, establishing a textile park, and opposing new RBI norms on loans against pledged jewelry.

**News Article:**

**CPI Demands Puducherry CM Choose Statehood Over Alliance with BJP**

**Puducherry, May 26, 2025:** The Communist Party of India (CPI) is ramping up pressure on Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy to prioritize the Union Territory’s long-sought goal of statehood, urging him to break ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if necessary.

In a strongly worded resolution passed at a State committee meeting, the CPI stated that Rangasamy’s continued alliance with the BJP, which has repeatedly rejected statehood for Puducherry, is “tantamount to misleading the people.”

“If the Chief Minister is sincere about securing statehood, he must take the lead in confronting the Centre by leaving the BJP alliance, which obstructs our rightful claim,” the resolution declared. The CPI pointed to recent statements by the central government in Parliament, indicating it had no plans to grant Puducherry statehood and that the resolution passed by the Assembly had not been brought to their attention.

The party also criticized Rangasamy for failing to follow through on his promise to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to advocate for statehood after the Assembly passed its 16th resolution on the matter in March.

Beyond the statehood issue, the CPI passed several other resolutions addressing pressing local concerns. These include calls for:

* Strengthening anti-corruption units within government departments in response to recent graft cases.
* Establishing a Staff Selection Board to ensure fair recruitment for government vacancies and protect reservation benefits.
* Ensuring private educational institutions adhere to the free education scheme for Dalit and ST students.
* Prioritizing the establishment of a textile park on the site of defunct mills to generate employment.
* Withdrawing new Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations on loans secured by pledged jewelry.

CPI leaders, including K. Narayana, I. Dinesh Ponniah, AM Saleem, and others, participated in the meeting, underscoring the party’s commitment to addressing these issues. The CPI’s assertive stance adds a new dimension to Puducherry’s political landscape as the debate over statehood intensifies.

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