Communist Party of India contests poll on its own after long gap in Puducherry

After a gap of 47 years, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has jumped into poll fray sans alliance with non-Left parties in the Union Territory and announced the candidature of R Viswanathan for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls. Secretary of the party's state unit and a four-time MLA, R Viswanathan has been fielded as its nominee for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Puducherry, joining the multi-cornered contest.

65-year old Viswanathan, who was Agriculture Minister in the DMK led coalition ministry here in 1996, was earlier an employee in a cooperative milk producers society and also worked in the government-owned Sri Bharathi Mills here. He was enrolled as a member of the CPI here in 1968 when the late veteran freedom fighter and labour leader V Subbiah was the head of the party here.