Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana told Lok Sabha during zero hour that when Delhi gets full statehood, Pondicherry will also be granted that status. He said this assurance had been given by Home Minister L K Advani.

Later, at his news briefing, Khurana said DMK member T R Balu had recently handed Advani a copy of the resolution adopted by the Pondicherry Assembly, calling for full statehood for the territory. Now the bill granting statehood will be drafted by the Centre.

He said the Centre had agreed to the statehood demand, but could not say whether the bill will be introduced during this or the next session of Parliament.

Cutting across party lines, members from Tamil Nadu have recently renewed the statehood demand. BJP-ally AIADMK had also called for granting full statehood to Pondicherry. The CPI also demanded that the government accord fullstatehood to Pondicherry.

``If the BJP can give statehood to Delhi, then why not Pondicherry which is also a Union territory and has the viability of being a state,'' CPI national secretary D Raja said here.