Cong plagued by dissidence

Pondicherry, Apr 15: Electioneering continues to be low key in the Union Territory of Pondicherry for the coming Assembly poll.

Strict implementation of the model code of conduct is attributed as the main reason for quiet campaigning.

Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is going it alone, and several small parties including actor Vijayakanth's DMDK are in the fray, the main contestants are the Congress-led Democratic Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led Democratic Peoples Alliance.

The AIADMK-led front finalised seat sharing much earlier and is engaged in door-to-door canvassing. No dissidence has been reported.

However, in the Congress-led alliance, the exercise was delayed and the party finalised its list of candidates only late last night.

Congress is facing dissidence with PCC(I) secretary Anand quitting the party, joining the PMC and contesting from Bussy. The PMC is yet to name a candidate for Kuruvinatham and is awaiting more dissidence in its parent party. At Villianur, cadre revolted over allocation of the seat to Theni Jayakumar, a sitting TMC member, who quit the party and joined the Congress only last week. Raksha Hari Krishna filed his papers against official Congress candidate Malladi Krishna Rao.

AICC Secretary Sudhakar Reddy is camping here to cool tempers.

UNI