‘Casteism, gender bias’; lone Pondy woman minister quits
The Neduncadu MLA became the first woman to be made a minister in the union territory after a gap of over 40 years. Priyanga was then handed the Transport portfolio.
S Chandira Priyanga
PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry’s lone woman legislator and minister, S Chandira Priyanga, on Tuesday tendered her resignation from the AINRC-BJP coalition cabinet, alleging politics of conspiracy and money power, besides facing casteism and gender bias.
Chief Minister N Rangasamy, however, declined to comment. “I have not invited you,” he told reporters who approached him.
In 2021, the Neduncadu MLA became the first woman to be made a minister in the union territory after a gap of over 40 years. Priyanga was then handed the Transport portfolio.
She was elected from Neduncadu reserved constituency in Karaikal on an AINRC ticket for a successive term in the 2021 Assembly polls.
A copy of her resignation letter, said although she entered the Assembly due to her popularity among the people, she realised it is not so easy to overcome “politics of conspiracy and I could not fight the big ghost of money power”.
She realised she “was subjected to casteism and gender bias.”
Priyanga said she would continue as legislator. “I’ll come out soon with a detailed report “to highlight improvement, reforms made in the departments I was looking after”.
Thanking the Chief Minister for having accommodated her as a Minister earlier, she also requested Ranagsamy to fill in the vacancy arising out of her resignation by including any of the legislators belonging to the Vanniyar, Dalit or minority communities.