The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of propping up a B team in the Union Territory for the 2026 Assembly polls.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said the forum launched by businessman Jose Charles Martin, son of lottery king Santiago Martin, was the B team of the BJP.
The businessman has been actively involved in carrying out welfare measures in Puducherry for sometime now. He has been providing free food to people in constituencies, such as Kamaraj Nagar, Mudaliarpet and Bahour. During the recent Deepavali celebrations, he distributed free gifts carrying the photograph of Mr Jose. The gift hampers distributed by BJP legislator P.M.L Kalyanasundaram also had the picture of the businessman, the Congress leader said.
The organisation has been more active in constituencies contested by the BJP’s allied parties — All India N R Congress and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — in the last Assembly polls. The BJP legislators, including Minister A. John Kumar, have openly participated in events organised by the businessman, he said.
“It is clear from the activities of Mr. Jose that he is functioning as the B team of the BJP. If the BJP is not connected to the businessman in anyway, the party should have taken disciplinary action against the legislators. Mr. Jose has also made critical remarks against the AINRC-BJP government,” he said.
The Congress leader also levelled a few strong allegations of corruption against Chief Minister N. Rangasamy with respect to the government’s excise policy. The decision to raise licence fee for wholesale and retail liquor outlets was made with an “ulterior motive,” he said.
He also flayed the government’s decision to recruit nursing staff in Government Medical College without written test.
Published – October 23, 2025 07:33 pm IST
