Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. File photo
| Photo Credit: THE HINDU

Puducherry hief Minister and founder leader of All India N R Congress N. Rangasamy has once again skipped the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog being held in New Delhi on Saturday (May 24, 2025).

The Governing Council meetings chaired by the Prime Minister discusses subjects of national importance, evolve strategies to accelerate development agenda and shared vision. The Saturday’s meeting of the Governing Council will be the 10th after the body was constituted. The meetings are attended by the Chief Ministers/Lt Governors of States and Union Territories. 

Mr .Rangasamy has not so far given any reason for abstaining from the meetings and has evaded questions from media pertaining to his absence from NITI Aayog and GST Council (Mr Rangasamy also holds Finance portfolio) related events held in New Delhi in the past. 

When asked by reporters early this week whether he would attend Saturday’s meeting, Mr Rangasamy said “I will tell you.” In fact, the Chief Minister has only once been to Delhi after he came to power. During that visit, the Chief Minister had called on the Prime Minister.

His absence from such meetings had invited criticism from Opposition parties, especially Congress. The Congress has even drawn the attention of Mr Rangasamy to the active presence of even Chief Ministers of Opposition ruled States in NITI Aayog and GST Council meetings. “Even those Chief Ministers who are opposed to the policies of the Prime Minister attend official meetings convened by the Centre, but Rangasamy who is an ally of BJP skips such meetings,” former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy had said at one of his press briefings.

‘CM will meet PM at an appropriate time’

The BJP legislators, while participating in Assembly discussions, have also appealed to the Chief Minister to visit the national capital and call on Prime Minister.

“Mr. Rangasamy will certainly go to Delhi and meet Prime Minister at the appropriate time to discuss administrative matters. In his first meeting with the Prime Minister itself, he has apprised PM the pressing needs of UT. The Prime Minister and Chief Minister have high regard for each other,” said a leader close to him.

Even when he was heading a Congress government, he never used to make frequent visits to Delhi to discuss political or administrative matters, he recalled.