Ensure Congress candidate's massive win in Puducherry: Udhayanidhi Stalin

Puducherry March 31 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday appealed to the Union Territory's electorate to ensure that the Congress candidate is re-elected in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls with a massive vote difference.

The Congress, DMK's alliance partner, has renominated sitting MP V Vaithilingam as their candidate for the 2024 polls.

Addressing a large gathering during his road show in neighbouring Villianoor, Udhayanidhi said that the INDIA bloc's victory in the upcoming polls would pave the way for protection of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry's rights. Vaithilingam accompanied him during the rally.

Stating that the ten-year rule of the NDA government at the Centre had been marked by corruption, Udhayanidhi claimed that people were let down on several counts. He assured of the INDIA bloc's commitment to ensuring rights of the states.

The DMK youth wing leader said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had never visited Puducherry on any occasion except during elections. He exuded confidence of DMK and its alliance partners winning in all the 40 constituencies in TN and Puducherry.

"Several progressive schemes now implemented in Tamil Nadu would be enforced in Puducherry to improve education, health and other basic amenities," he said.

Udhayanidhi said that the INDIA bloc is committed to procuring full statehood for Puducherry, prevent intrusion of private players in distribution of power, reopening all ration shops and opening up all defunct PSUs in the Union territory.

He also promised to ensure waiver of Puducherry government's loans to the Centre.

Pointing out that the Congress nominee Vaithilingam had won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by a big margin of around two lakh votes, he appealed to voters that the difference this time should exceed three lakhs. The DMK's Puducherry secretary and local MLA R Siva was among those present with Udhayanidhi during the rally. PTI COR SDP