'Friendly fights' mask a deepening INDIA alliance crisis in Puducherry

In poll-bound Puducherry, what began as an alliance experiment is turning into a political stress test.

The DMK and the Congress are locked in direct contests in five constituencies in the Union Territory, signalling a clear breakdown of coordination within the INDIA bloc.

Adding to the complexity, the Congress has also entered the fray in constituencies where INDIA allies, such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), are contesting, effectively turning the election into an intra-bloc, multi-cornered battle rather than a united alliance fight.

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The approach mirrors the “friendly fight” model often seen in northern states such as Bihar, where the Congress, despite being part of an alliance, contests select seats to retain its vote base and keep its symbol relevant among voters.

What happens in Bihar...

Political observers warn that what works in Bihar may not translate well to Puducherry’s smaller constituencies, where even a few hundred votes can swing results. The UT goes to the polls on April 9, along with Assam and Kerala. The couting is slated for May 4.

Puducherry's bigger neighbour Tamil Nadu goes to polls on April 23. There, there are no direct DMK-Congress contests, but the two allies finalised their seat-sharing deal only recently, after much bickering and intense talks.

The roots of the current situation in Puducherry lie in prolonged delays and internal disagreements between the DMK and the Congress over seat-sharing and leadership.

Overlapping claims

Even before the election date was announced, friction had surfaced over who would lead negotiations. Once the poll schedule was declared and nominations opened, candidates from both parties rushed to file papers in their preferred constituencies.

The Congress filed nominations in 22 seats and the DMK in 13, with overlapping claims continuing until the final stages. The Puducherry Assembly consists of 30 elected seats.

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Although a Congress candidate withdrew in Nellithope constituency, citing alliance discipline, the damage was already done. In the end, five constituencies—Mangalam, Thirubuvanai, Raj Bhavan, Kalapet and Karaikal South—are witnessing direct DMK vs Congress contests, turning alliance partners into rivals on the ground.

In Uzhavarkarai, the contest has become even more intense, with Congress candidate Sivasankaran facing the VCK’s Pushpalatha, while constituencies such as Oussudu and Nettapakkam are also seeing the VCK entering the fray independently.

'INDIA bloc has collapsed'

The situation has further escalated with the CPI distancing itself from both the DMK and the Congress after not being allotted seats. The Left party has decided to contest independently and has also openly criticised the alliance. Its local leadership even went on to claim that the INDIA alliance has “effectively collapsed” in the UT.

CPI State Secretary A M Salim said, “The INDIA alliance has effectively collapsed in Puducherry. We have not been given due space, and we will not support either DMK or Congress in this election.” He also confirmed that the party would contest selectively, focusing on Uzhavarkarai.

This fragmentation marks a sharp contrast to the last Lok Sabha election, where the INDIA alliance had demonstrated remarkable unity in Puducherry. Congress leader V Vaithilingam had secured a resounding victory in the UT's only Lower House seat with a margin of around 1.5 lakh votes, defeating his nearest rival comfortably, with the alliance leading in nearly all Assembly segments.

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That success was built on coordinated campaigning, ideological alignment, and seamless vote transfer among partners.

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Now, the same alliance appears divided, with partners directly cutting into each other’s vote banks.

Political analysts believe that this internal competition could significantly weaken the INDIA bloc and open the door for rivals such as the All India NR Congress and the BJP, whose alliance is currently in power in Puducherry.

As one observer put it, “In a small electorate like Puducherry, even a minor vote split can change the outcome. Friendly fights here are not friendly at all—they can be decisive.”