Chief Minister N. Rangasamy speaking in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly

| Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Thursday (August 27, 2026) said attaining Statehood for Puducherry was the only long-term solution to ensuring a smooth administration in the Union Territory.Winding up the discussion on the ‘Motion of Thanks’ to the Lieutenant Governor in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said Statehood has been a demand of the elected governments in Puducherry for a long time.“The demand was raised with the present Prime Minister as well as with those who held the post before. Even recently, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Puducherry, I had told him that though we are getting Central government’s support, we are a bit concerned about the delay in getting Statehood. I will continue to raise the issue and I am hopeful of achieving Statehood for Puducherry,“ the Chief Minister said.The Chief Minister said the present administrative apparatus of the Union Territory was bound to create differences at various levels in the administration. The only solution was getting Statehood. “We are having differences of opinion, but at the same time, the Lt. Governor and I are determined to bring development to Puducherry,” he said.The Chief Minister said his government was committed to holding local body elections in the Union Territory. The Commission to determine the reservation for OBCs in local body elections has submitted its report. Steps are being taken to hold the polls, he said.DMK seeks clarification from L-GSpeaking on the motion, Opposition leader and DMK member A.M.H. Nazeem said the delay in allocation of portfolios to the Ministers and the holding of the Speaker election have cast a shadow on the authority of the elected government.“Allocation of portfolios is the discretion of the Chief Minister but in Puducherry, the process was delayed due to outside interference. Even with regard to the election of the Speaker, there are reports that the government had sent the file to the Lt. Governor with specific dates for holding the election, but it has not been cleared so far. Holding the election of the Speaker is a legislative business and a privilege given to the elected members. The Lt. Governor should state whether he had received a file from the government regarding the Speaker election,“ Mr. Nazeem said.Even in the recent conduct of the conference of Chief Ministers of Southern States at Mamallapuram by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the authority of the Puducherry Chief Minister was put to a question mark. The practice of inviting the Lt. Governor of Puducherry for the conference of Southern Chief Ministers started when former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was holding the Lt. Governor’s post in the Union Territory, he said.“Before Ms. Bedi was invited, only the Chief Minister of Puducherry used to get an invite. For argument’s sake, we can sidestep the invitation given to Ms. Bedi, assuming the fact that it was a Congress government which was in power at that time in the UT. But now, the Chief Minister is an ally of the ruling party. By inviting him along with the Lt. Governor, the authority of the Chief Minister’s Office was diminished,” Mr. Nazeem said.Pro-tem Speaker’s viewAIADMK legislator A. Anbalagan, who was chairing the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly in his capacity as Pro-tem Speaker, expressed the opinion that the Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary are bound to follow the policy decisions of the elected government in letter and spirit.“The Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary should follow the policy directions of the elected government,” he said, intervening when Mr. Nazeem was speaking.Assembly mourns Nepal tragedyEarlier, when the House met, the Pro-tem Speaker read out a resolution expressing condolences for the people who died in the flash floods in Nepal. The members stood for a minute as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the tragedy. Published - August 27, 2026 05:27 pm IST