"Main issue for people in Puducherry is statehood...": Congress leader V Vaithilingam

Puducherry [India], April 15 (ANI): Congress leader V Vaithilingam on Monday said that main issue for the people in Puducherry is statehood, adding that people here are happy after Congress has mentioned in its poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections that statehood will be granted to the Union Territory.
"The demand of Puducherry is statehood. Puducherry statehood is the main issue. So the Congress has made a promise in the manifesto for statehood not only for Puducherry but also for Jammu and Kashmir. Puducherry statehood, finance commission and service commission are the main issues," said V Vaithilingam, who currently represents Puducherry in Lok Sabha.
V Vaithilingam will face Bharatiya Janata Party's A Namassivayam and AIADMK's G Thamizhvendhan.
Earlier, Puducherry's BJP candidate, A Namassivayam, who is also the Home Minister of the Union Territory, expressed confidence in winning the Lok Sabha seat and promised to work for the development of the region.
"We will win the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat," he said, reckoning that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections hold potential for the BJP to expand its presence in southern states.

Namassivayam further said, "There are four regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry-Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, We are doing development in each and every region, and it will continue to happen in future as well...We want to make it the best Puducherry."
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate V Vaithilingam won the only seat in the Puducherry Parliamentary Constituency.
Voting for all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the only constituency in Puducherry will be held in the first phase on April 19.The polling will be conducted in seven phases across the country from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will be on June 4. (ANI)