Fight between sibbling in the constituency

Pondicherry, Apr 26(UNI) It is a fight between siblings at Nettapakkam constituency for the May eight assembly elections in the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

For the third sucessive elections, former Chief Minister and the candidate of Indian National Congress V Vaithilingam is contesting against his own brother Muthunarayana Reddiyar.

Nettapakkam, a Congress citadel, was held by Venkatasubbareddiyar, the father of Mr Vaithilingam, who also held the post of Chief Minister in 1964 and 1974. After his father, Mr Vaithilingam, who began his electoral fray in 1980, was defeated by the Janata Party candidate Subbraya Gounder.

Mr Vaithilingam, who won the elections in 1985, was yet to be defeated in the constituency. He is contesting for the seventh successive term from Nettapakkam. He held the constituency in 1990,1991,1996 and 2001. He was the PWD minister in M O H Farook cabinet in 1985 and became the Chief Minister in 1991.

Muthunarayana Reddiyar contested against his brother in 1996 elections as an Independent. However, he contested on the ticket of Puducherry Makkal Congress(PMC) floated by former minister P Kannan in 2001. He would again contest as a PMC candidate in the ensuing elections.

Nettapakkam is predominantly a Vanniyar dominated area and in the last two elections, Vanniyar candidates contesTed in a bid to capitalise on the tussle between the brothers, which, however, made no difference to the outcome.

This time, too, initially there was a PMK rebel candidate, who withdrew from the contest, following the party high command directions. The presence of the BJP and DMDK candidates in the fray, are not likely to pose any threat to Mr Vaithilingam.

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