Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised to return to power in Puducherry and become the Union territory’s first incumbent government to secure re-election since Congress accomplished the feat in 2006.Counting for the April 9 assembly polls was held on Monday, with the election recording an 89.87% turnout—the highest in the former French colony since its merger with India in 1964.The NDA has won or is leading in 18 of the 30 constituencies, two above the majority mark. Chief minister N Rangasamy’s All India NR Congress (AINRC) has secured 10 seats and is ahead in two more. Among its allies, the BJP has won four seats, while one candidate each from the AIADMK and Latchiya Jananagaya Katchi (LJK) has also emerged victorious.Under the alliance’s seat-sharing arrangement, the AINRC contested 16 constituencies, while the BJP got 14 constituencies, of which it allotted two seats each to the AIADMK and LJK.
What the win means for Rangasamy and AINRC
The victory cements Rangasamy’s position as Puducherry’s tallest leader. Already the longest-serving chief minister, he is set to return for a second consecutive term at the helm of an NDA government, and his fifth term overall. He won both his constituencies, Thattanchavady and Mangalam.This would also strengthen his position within the NDA, where fissures had surfaced ahead of the polls over issues such as the BJP’s inclusion of the LJK in the alliance. The LJK was founded by businessman Jose Charles Martin, son of “lottery king” Santiago Martin.Another source of friction was the BJP-led Centre’s refusal to grant statehood to Puducherry. The region’s Union territory status means that the lieutenant governor—representing the President of India—can overrule or bypass the elected government. Becoming the dominant partner would enable Rangasamy to press the issue more assertively.The win would also help the AINRC avoid a Bihar-like scenario in Puducherry. In the Bihar assembly polls held in November last year, the BJP emerged as the largest party for the first time, with ally JD(U) in second place. Despite this, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar returned as chief minister for his 10th term, having led the state for over two decades.However, earlier this month, Kumar moved to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the BJP to secure its first chief minister in the state, with Samrat Choudhary succeeding him in the top post.dhary succeeding him in the top post.
