Puducherry: Ruckus at Congress meeting after party leader raised DMK flag

Additional security forces were deployed outside the Congress office in Puducherry after ruckus took place during the Congress's Election Committee meeting on Sunday.

The scuffle started after Congress leader MP Venkatesan waved a DMK flag in the meeting. Members entered into verbal arguments and started getting physical by pulling and pushing one another. Former chief minister V Narayanasamy was also present at the meeting.

Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry will be held on April 6.

The Congress has entered into an alliance with the DMK, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). According to their seat-sharing agreement, Congress will contest from 15 seats and the DMK from 13 in 30-member Puducherry Assembly. The CPI and the VCK will field their candidates on one seat each.

As many as 10,02,589 electors will choose the candidates for the 15th legislative Assembly of Puducherry.

The Congress-led government in the Union Territory fell before completing its five-year term under the Chief Minister V Narayansamy. Narayanasamy had resigned on February 22 ahead of a floor test in the 33-member House (including three nominated) following the resignations of five Congress and one Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) legislators.

In the 2016 Assembly polls, Congress had won 15 seats, All India NR Congress eight seats, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) got four seats, DMK walked away with two MLAs. BJP could not win any seats.