Namassivayam quits PWD minister post, blames Pondy CM for decision

He charged that Chief Minister’s action has forced him to quit the Congress party. Following Namassivayam, Congress legislator from Ossudu constituency E Theepainthan also resigned from his post.

Meanwhile, PCC president AV Subramanian told news persons that Namassivayam is being temporarily suspended from the primary membership of the party on charges of indulging in ‘anti-party’ activities. He said Namassivayam was given full rights and functioned freely as a Minister. However, he ‘betrayed ‘ the Congress Party, the PCC president said, adding that action will be initiated against those who follow Namassivayam.

In a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, the Minister said after the Assembly election in 2016, Narayanasamy, who did not contest the elections jumped into the fray and staked claim for the Chief Minister post which forced an unnecessary by-election in Nellithope Assembly constituency.

He said right from the day he has taken charge as the Chief Minister, his only work was to keep confrontation with the Prime Minister, Central Government and Lt Governor Kiran Bedi deliberately without weighing on the subject and impact that could arise to the people of Puducherry.

He said after a long thought, he had decided to end the association with the Chief Minister and others who even created a parallel command in his Ministry and party, which forced him to resign from the primary membership of the Congress.

Namassivayam also wrote a separate letter with the same content to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and thanked him and Sonia Gandhi for making him the PCC president and allowed to serve for a brief period.