AINRC founder N Rangasamy skips BJP talks again, rift widens over seat-sharing, statehood demand

Puducherry: All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder and chief minister N Rangasamy skipped seat-sharing talks with Union minister Mansukh L Mandaviya for the second time on Thursday, as ally BJP was reluctant to drop Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) founded by lottery baron Santiago Martin's son Jose Charles Martin. Rangasamy also sought an assurance on his demand for statehood for Puducherry.

While Mandaviya was waiting for Rangasamy at a hotel on Wednesday to resume talks, the chief minister left for the ashram of the late self-proclaimed godman Appa Paithiyasami in Salem. He returned on the same night, but on learning that Mandaviya was still there, he deputed a team led by public works minister K Lakshminarayanan to hold talks with him and left on a pilgrimage to Tiruchendur.

Meanwhile, Jose Charles Martin criticised Rangasamy, saying it was not right for him to travel when alliance talks were underway.

AINRC sources said the party has the list of prospective candidates for all 30 constituencies, if it has to face the polls alone. The party is also contemplating an alliance with actor Vijay's TVK if BJP failed to meet its demand, said AINRC sources.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress-DMK camp has failed to reach an agreement on seat sharing. Congress and DMK are engaged in a tussle over which party leads the alliance in Puducherry. With just two working days for filing nomination papers, the parties in both camps hope the impasse will clear soon.