PUDUCHERRY: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to form the government in the UT of Puducherry for the first time. The alliance led by All India NR Congress (AINRC) with BJP and AIADMK as constituents defeated the Secular Democratic Alliance (SDA) led by Congress with DMK, CPI and VCK as constituents. With this, the Congress has failed to regain its last bastion in the South.
The NDA is projected to get 15+ seats to SDA’s eight in the 30-elected member Assembly. Independents have cornered six seats (won 4, leading in 2), three of them being rebel AINRC candidates, who will play a significant role.
The NDA fought the elections under N Rangasamy, AINRC President and former CM, who is likely to become the Chief Minister for the fourth time even though the NDA has not announced its Chief Ministerial candidate. While AINRC has won 10 seats out of 16 seats it contested, the BJP has also done very well to get six (won-3, leading-3) of the nine seats it contested, though most of the candidates who won were Congress turncoats.
The AIADMK in comparison performed poorly in the alliance, drawing a blank as compared to four seats last time. N Rangasamy won in Thattanchavady constituency over his nearest rival K Sethuselvam by a margin of 5,456 votes, though he is trailing in Yanam. Congress meanwhile would like to forget the election in a hurry, winning just two seats though its ally performed better.
While former CM V Narayanasamy stayed away this time, former ministers M Kandasamy, MOHF Shajahan and R Kamalakannan and others lost. The only candidates who registered wins are debutante Ramesh Parambath in Mahe and AINRC turncoat V Vaidyanathan in Lawspet.