Is Congress Deliberately Sabotaging Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ Development After Lok Sabha Election Defeat?

Tarun Karthick

Port Blair, 20 June 2024

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress MP Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, who represented the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was defeated by BJP’s Bishnu Pada Ray by a significant margin. During his tenure, Mr. Sharma had actively engaged in discussions about the development of major infrastructure projects in the region.

In December 2022, Mr. Sharma met with the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to discuss the acceleration of mega infrastructure projects worth Rs. 75,000 crores. These projects included the International Container Transshipment Terminal and a new Green Field Airport at Great Nicobar. The meeting and its agenda were publicly documented on December 6, 2022, in ‘The Daily Telegrams,’ the official publication of the A & N Administration.

Following the Congress’s electoral defeat in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Parliamentary Constituency, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary (Communications) of the All India Congress Committee and a Rajya Sabha MP, issued a statement. He called for the immediate suspension of all clearances granted for the projects at Great Nicobar and demanded a thorough review of the proposed projects, including scrutiny by the relevant parliamentary committees.

This stance has raised questions, given that the clearances in question were issued during the period when Mr. Sharma held the ANIPC seat. Mr. Sharma did not oppose these clearances and had even advocated for the projects during his meeting with the Lt. Governor.

The sudden shift in the Congress’s position after losing the parliamentary seat has led to speculation. Critics are questioning whether the party lacks a unified stance on the mega projects in Great Nicobar or if the call to suspend clearances is a move to hinder development in the region following their electoral loss.