PUDUCHERRY: The National Democratic Alliance led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy has retained power in Puducherry. Out of the 30 Assembly constituencies in the union territory, NDA has won 18 seats. While DMK and Congress won six seats each, TVK won two, its ally Neyam Makkal Kazhagam one seat, and Independents three.
In the NDA, AINRC won 12 seats, BJP secured four, while AIADMK and LJK one each.
N Rangasamy is poised to become the chief minister for the fifth time, a feat unparalleled in the UT’s history. He won in both Thattanchavady and Mangalam constituencies, while Home Minister A Namassivayam (BJP), minister A John Kumar (BJP), Transport Minister PNR Thirumurugan and Deputy Speaker P Rajavelu (AINRC) won from Mannadipet, Mudaliarpet, Karaikal (North), and Nettapakkam (SC) respectively. K Narayanasamy (AINRC) won in Ouzhukarai over Sasibalan (TVK) by 4234 votes.
Leader of Opposition R Siva (DMK), Puducherry Congress president and Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam and state BJP president VP Ramalingam (BJP) are among the major losers. The largest margin of victory was 10,205 votes secured by Jose Charles Martin of LJK in Kamaraj Nagar, while the lowest of 287 votes was in Raj Bhavan secured by Vignesh Kannan (DMK). All the six Congress rebel candidates lost.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X said, “Building on our excellent record of good governance and the work of the government led by N Rangasamy, the people of Puducherry have given another term to the NDA.”