Chennai, Mar 20 (IANS): The DMK-Congress in Puducherry is gearing to give a tough fight to the AIADMK-AINRC-BJP combine, which is perceived to have an edge, in the April 6 Assembly elections.
While some opinion polls have predicted an easy victory for the AIADMK-AINRC-BJP combine, the Congress leaders are of the opinion that they will come back to power.
Former Chief Minister V. Narayanaswamy, who is not contesting the elections but heading the poll campaign, told IANS that the Congress and DMK "has an inherent vote bank in Puducherry which is way ahead of the AINRC-AIADMK-BJP combine".
"While the first two have some representation, what is the situation of BJP? It has a miniscule percentage of votes in the last elections and there is no grassroot support for that party in any constituency of the state," he said.
The Narayanaswamy-led Congress-DMK government was forced to quit after several Congress ministers and MLAs crossed over to the BJP.
Another factor which the Congress-DMK combine is banking on is the leadership issue in the AIADMK-AINRC-BJP combine with AINRC chief and former Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy upset over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's reported statement of a BJP leader heading the government after their win.
However, BJP leader in charge of Puducherry, Nirmal Kumar Surana has already announced Rangaswamy would lead the combine.
The AINRC is contesting 16 seats while the AIADMK and the BJP are contesting the remaining 14 seats.
The DMK and Congress are trying to make up for the lost ground and to woo the caste and communal balances across the state to try and come back to power.
The presence of the AINRC in the BJP alliance is a major hindrance for the Congress and party sources admit that it could play spoilsport.
A senior Congress leader told IANS that Rangaswamy is a former Congressman and "we will initiate backdoor parleys with him, if there are possibilities of such a combination after election results are out".
In the Secular Progressive Alliance, the Congress will contest 15 seats, the DMK 13 seats, and the remaining two going to the CPI and Dalit outfit VCK.