Rangasamy set for record 5th term as Puducherry CM
The calm and soft-spoken N Rangasamy is all set to lead Puducherry for the fifth time with his party AINRC-led NDA winning the April 9 elections in the UT with a handsome margin.
The All India NR Congress has now emerged victorious in 12 out of the 16 seats it contested, and the BJP won four of the 10 seats it fought. The AIADMK and Latchia Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), other NDA constituents, emerged successful from one seat each and the combine has 18 seats in the 30-member House, two more than the magic number of 16 required to form a Government.
Besides, there would be three nominated members.
Rangasamy had been a Congress CM in the past (2001, 2006) before parting ways with the national party to float his outfit in 2011.
In 2011, he joined hands with late Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, and the combine won the elections then, before ties soured between the two leaders.
On Monday, as results started emerging for the April 9 elections, it became evident that the UT had given a big thumbs up to the veteran leader, a man of few words, to lead Puducherry again.
On the other side, the INDIA bloc has garnered six seats - DMK five and one for the Congress. Most of its candidates, including sitting MP and former Chief Minister Ve Vaithilingam, bit the dust in the hustings. Vaithinlingam was defeated by Rangasamy on his turf, Thattanchavady. The TVK, a fledgling political outfit, won two seats, while the party backed Makkal Neya Kazhagam pocketed one. Three Independents have been elected from the Neduncadu reserved segment, Kadirkamam and Mahe region.
The successive NDA Government is likely to be a coalition ministry under the leadership of Rangasamy, just like the outgoing cabinet.
LJK and AIADMK are also likely to request accommodation in the ministry. The usual strength of the territorial ministry is six.
Meanwhile, the provision to have three nominated legislators would also be utilised. The nominated members enjoy no rights like the elected ones in areas such as voting during the presidential polls.
The Congress’ performance in the April 9 poll has raised many questions about the party that has ruled the UT a number of times in the past. While the party contested in 16 seats, it won only one.
The defeat of the PCC leader and Lok Sabha member Vaithilingam at the hands of the CM has drawn the attention of poll observers.
Further, the DMK’s Puducherry unit secretary R Siva also lost the elections.
There will be no woman legislator in the Assembly as those fielded by the Congress and the AINRC, among other parties, could not win.
None of the six rebel Congress candidates could emerge successful, and they included former PWD Minister MOHF Shah Jahan, who contested from Kalapet.
The new Assembly would have a mix of veterans and greenhorns.
