Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Puducherry for campaigning on April 9, 2026, the Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee has called on the Central government to address the demand for Statehood. V. Vaithilingam, a Congress MP and candidate for the Thattanchavady constituency, highlighted that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy had previously made this demand during Modi's last visit for a government event. Vaithilingam urged that the Prime Minister should respond to this demand during his current visit. He also referenced Rangasamy's earlier statement about potentially boycotting the elections if the demand for Statehood is not met. The Congress party has positioned itself to support Rangasamy should he choose to boycott the elections. Additionally, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik criticized the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for failing to deliver on its promises, specifically mentioning that the BJP's commitment to Statehood in the 2021 elections remains unfulfilled.