PUDUCHERRY: In a strategic reshuffle ahead of 2026 Assembly elections in Puducherry, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday appointed three state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice Presidents—E Theeppainthan, G N S Rajasekaran, and V Selvam—as nominated MLAs to the Puducherry Legislative Assembly.
The appointment was made to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of three BJP nominated MLAs V P Ramalingam, K Venkatesan, and R B Ashok Babu, who stepped down on June 27.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new nominated MLAs is scheduled for July 14 at 12 pm, Speaker R Selvam said .
The BJP, in a move to accommodate and reward loyal members, effected the reshuffle by nominating new faces to the Assembly.
Among the appointees, E Theeppainthan is a former Congress MLA from the Ossudu-SC constituency. He joined the BJP shortly before the 2021 Assembly elections.
Although he did not contest the elections—as the Ossudu seat was allotted to Minister Sai Saravana Kumar—his defection significantly eased the BJP's victory, leaving the Congress scrambling to field a replacement candidate.
Recognising his contribution, the BJP subsequently appointed him as a Vice President of the state unit before nominating him to the Assembly.
G N S Rajasekaran (58), a businessman from Karaikal, joined the party just before the 2021 Assembly polls and contested the elections from Thirunallar constituency on a BJP ticket.
He narrowly lost in a three-cornered contest to Independent candidate P R Siva, who had rebelled after being denied an AINRC ticket. Despite the defeat, Rajasekaran remained a steadfast party supporter.
He was subsequently appointed Vice President of the state unit and his nomination is seen as a reward for his continuous support to the party.
The third appointee, V Selvam (69), has been associated with the Sangh Parivar for decades. He began his public life with RSS in 1978, and then in Hindu Munnani from 1983, serving as its President.
In 2006, he joined the BJP and has been associated with the BJP. He contested 1991 and 2016 from Mudaliarpet, but lost.
His long-standing commitment to the party has now been recognised with a nominated MLA position.
The appointments are being seen as part of the BJP’s broader strategy to consolidate its base in the Union Territory by promoting loyalists and expanding its legislative presence through nominated positions.