Puducherry Chief Minister and All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) leader N. Rangasamy submitted his resignation to Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Thursday at Lok Bhavan. The resignation follows the recent Puducherry Assembly election results, as reported by news agency PTI.
NDA Retains Power in Union Territory
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has retained power in the Union Territory. In the 30-member Puducherry assembly, the NR Congress won 12 seats, the BJP secured four, and the AIADMK won one seat. On the opposition side, the DMK obtained five seats and the Congress won one. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), making a notable debut, opened its account by winning two seats.
Rangasamy's Electoral Performance
Rangasamy secured 10,024 votes in the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency, winning by a margin of 4,441 votes after counting concluded on Monday.
Political Career of Rangasamy
A veteran political figure in Puducherry, Rangasamy has served multiple terms as Chief Minister. He has held the post since May 2021 and previously led the Union Territory from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2016. In 2011, he founded the All India N.R. Congress after parting ways with the Indian National Congress. His political career spans several decades, marked by shifting electoral dynamics in Puducherry.
Historical Context
In the 1970s, leaders such as V. Pethaperumal of the Indian National Congress were influential, while the 1977 elections saw the rise of the Janata Party. During the 1980s and 1990s, parties like the Janata Dal gained prominence, and Rangasamy emerged as an Indian National Congress representative by 1991. The political landscape continued to evolve through the 1996, 2001, and 2006 elections. In 2011, the AINRC strengthened its position under leaders like Ashok Anand. A 2019 bypoll was won by K. Venkatesan of the DMK, before Rangasamy returned to power in 2021 under the AINRC banner, marking another shift in Puducherry's political history.
