Party senior leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, who were deputed by the Congress high command to hold consultations in this regard, told reporters at the end of the meeting that Narayanasamy's choice was unanimous.
They said all party elected legislators agreed that Narayanasamy should be made the Chief Minister and elected him the CLP leader.
Dikshit said the PCC president A Namassivayam proposed the name of Narayanasamy and former Chief Minister V Vaithilingam seconded it. The name of Narayanasamy was also approved by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, she said. “Everything went off nicely”, Dikshit said, adding, Sonia Gandhi congratulated him over phone.
Narayanasamy had served as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office in the second UPA government, after being MoS, Parliamentary Affairs, in the first UPA government. He did not contest the May 16 Assembly election from Puducherry and will now have to seek election to the legislature in a by-poll.
There was a close race between him and Namassivayam who won in the Assembly polls retaining Villianoor constituency. Narayanasamy told reporters that he would consult party legislators and the high command regarding the next step to be taken. He would meet the Lt Governor of Puducherry to stake claim to form the ministry.