Amma has sworn in and finished the task of distributing portfolios even before swearing of her government. In West Bengal there is no doubt who the boss is – Mamata di. In Kerala Left front had decided soon after votes were counted, it is Pinarai Vijayan. And in Assam, the BJP had declared Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate and prime minister Narendra Modi is attending his swearing in, the first BJP government ever to assume office in a North Eastern state after winning massive mandate from the people.

So all this is yesterday’s news you may say, and you are damn right. Why one is mentioning all these above chief ministerial designates and chief ministers is only to show the contrast. In tiny Puducherry, with just 30 members, the Congress-DMK combine won a clear cut decisive ”consolation prize” with 17 out of 30 seats.

So what is the problem? Why there is no chief minister? The Congress victory is the problem as it is not a solution that the Congress has won the majority. For there is a lot of “democracy” within the party and almost everyone wants to be a chief minister, but since it might appear foolish some may have hidden their ambitions under the garb of being a loyal soldier of the Congress party.

There is former PMO minister V Narayansamy who would love the chief ministerial gaddi very badly, but his problem, he did not contest the polls. And the Congress high command may not want to risk nominating him as the No 10 Janpath choice and anoint him as the chief minister, as there is a risk that none of the Congress MLAs may vacate seat for him to get elected to the house in six months.

Now the state legislative party was to meet and take a decision on Monday, but till the time of writing the report the meeting could not take place in the absence of a consensus. PCC president A Namasivayam is the front runner for the post and it is hoped that he might get the final stamp of approval from party high command. The other contender is leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly V Vaitialingam.

But, AICC observers are expected to reach Puducherry on Tuesday and talk to each MLA and then report back to high command, for its concurrence.

Puducherry may yet have to remain in suspense as to who will it be, the next chief minister.