The alliance of the All-India NR Congress and BJP, led by three-time chief minister N. Rangasamy, has secured the majority figure of 16 seats in the Union territory of Puducherry. The NR Congress secured 10 seats and the BJP six in the 30-member Assembly. The alliance has trounced the Congress, reducing it to two seats. While the AIADMK and the PMK drew a blank, the DMK has won in six seats, only to sit comfortably in the opposition benches.
With this, the NR Congress-BJP alliance has a simple majority in the Puducherry Assembly. But it remains to be seen whether the BJP will be part of the cabinet or extend support from outside to Rangasamy. The BJP, which did not have any base in the Tamil Union territory till February, ensured that the Congress heavyweights switched sides to open the saffron party’s account in the Assembly as elected representatives. The victory in Puducherry is a big leap for the BJP, which was fighting hard to find a footing in the Tamil heartland through Puducherry. Former Congress legislators A. Namasivayam and A. Johnkumar and his son Richards Johnkumar, who defected from the Congress, won while BJP’s Puducherry Swaminathan lost.
N. Rangasamy is all set to take over as the chief minister, after a gap of five years. This will be Rangasamy’s fourth term as chief minister of Puducherry, if the BJP extends support. But Rangasamy who contested from two constituencies—Thattanchavady and Yanam—won only from one. In Thattanchavady, he won by a margin of 5,456 votes, while he lost Yanam to an independent candidate.
The Congress, which ruled the Union territory for five years under V. Narayanasamy, has been reduced to just two seats. The Congress’s fate in the Union territory can be gauged by the fact that even its unit chief in Puducherry, A.V. Subramaniam, lost in Karaikal North by 134 votes.
However, the most interesting question that remains will be regarding the three MLAs yet to be nominated. It is to be seen whether the lieutenant governor, like in 2016, once again, gives opportunities to the BJP or chooses academics and administrators to be nominated to the Assembly.
