By Kavita Mistry 
Puducherry: Cracks have become apparent in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Puducherry, with BJP MLAs voicing frustration over what they term is “over centralised” functioning of the All India NR Congress, in power in the Union Territory. The regional party, led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, is part of the BJP-led NDA.
While the BJP has not confronted its ally publicly, simmering differences within the coalition have widened enough for multiple MLAs to acknowledge that there is a problem.
Among the discontented BJP legislators is Kamaraj Nagar MLA A. Johnkumar.
Speaking to ThePrint, he said he has complained repeatedly that crucial local administration and public works department files for his constituency are either processed slowly or sent back by officials, insisting “approval from the minister”.
“Since both departments are held by NR Congress ministers, I am struggling to get even routine works cleared,” he said. Recalling an incident, he alleged that Oulgaret municipality delayed streetlight tenders for Kamaraj Nagar by nearly four months.
“This is political. NR Congress wants to weaken BJP areas before 2026,” he told ThePrint.
At the heart of the rift between the NR Congress and BJP is the apparent imbalance of power in the Cabinet. Despite being the second-largest partner, the BJP has only one minister, A. Namassivayam, who holds home, education and sports portfolios, among others, in the UT.
In the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, 10 MLAs are from All India NR Congress (AINRC), 6 from BJP, 6 from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), 2 from Congress and 6 independents. The ruling AINRC enjoys support from the BJP and two independent MLAs.
Of the six BJP MLAs, only Namassivayam was inducted into the cabinet, while five other MLAs—Johnkumar, P.M.L. Kalyanasundaram, Sai Saravanan Kumar, Embalam Selvam and nominated MLA V.P. Ramalingam—remain outside the Cabinet.
NR Congress leaders dismissed the talks of a tussle between the coalition partners as “routine alliance differences” ahead of the 2026 assembly election.
A senior minister from the party, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint, “These are routine accusations and counter-accusations between parties ahead of any election.
“Since the 2026 assembly elections are nearing, everybody wants to gain support from the ground and hence, such accusations and blame on the coalition partner are common.”
Not just Johnkumar, Kalapet MLA Kalyanasundaram also alleged that work in his constituency had been ignored by the ministers and ruling party.
According to him, there is a deficit of nearly 40 percent in PWD fund utilisation in Kalapet compared to NR Congress constituencies.
“It is not just in the PWD department. Even the health care centres are not functioning in my constituency despite repeated requests. Since Kalapet is emerging as a BJP stronghold, it looks like the ruling party is blocking the projects for my constituency,” he told ThePrint.
Similarly, BJP MLA from Oussudu, Sai Saravanan, complained about repeated delay in posting doctors and nurses to the urban primary health centre in his constituency. “Not just doctors and nurses, even the sanitary supervisors and inspectors were not appointed.”
Adding to the internal tension is the growing presence of Jose Charles Martin, businessman and son of India’s lottery king Santiago Martin. He is pitching himself as a third force in the UT and is set to launch a political party. According to multiple BJP leaders, at least three party MLAs are discreetly supporting Jose’s entry into politics and are working with him.
“In fact, Jose Charles has adopted Johnkumar’s Kamaraj Nagar constituency, since the MLA was a close aide of Charles’s father since their early days,” a BJP source told ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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