AIADMK promises statehood for Puducherry, steps up attack on DMK ahead of polls

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday pledged that his party would make all efforts to secure full statehood for Puducherry , promising to raise the issue in Parliament if elected.

Campaigning for the NDA alliance ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections, he said statehood would ensure greater autonomy, higher central funding, and faster development . Puducherry, currently a Union Territory with a legislature, functions under a system where key powers remain with the Centre through the Lieutenant Governor. Unlike states, it has limited control over crucial subjects such as law and order and land. Notably, Puducherry has never had full statehood since its integration into India in 1962, though the demand has surfaced periodically.

Palaniswami urged voters to support the NDA comprising AIADMK, BJP, AINRC and LJK arguing that alignment with the Centre would accelerate growth . He praised Chief Minister N. Rangasamy for welfare measures and handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Targeting the opposition, he accused the DMK and its leader M. K. Stalin of “double standards” and corruption , particularly in the liquor trade. He alleged that the INDIA bloc in Puducherry was facing “confusion and chaos” and cautioned voters against the DMK.

While the AIADMK’s statehood pitch signals a push for institutional empowerment , it does not yet outline a development blueprint comparable to N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Amaravati model, which focused on capital-led infrastructure growth. However, statehood could enable similar large-scale initiatives in the future.

The AIADMK is contesting two seats Uppalam and Orleanpet in the 30-member Assembly, where polling will be held on April 9.