Victory for the National Democratic Alliance in the Puducherry assembly elections has been a recurring theme across opinion polls released as the poll season kicked in. And the man at the centre of it – N Rangasamy – a uncommon instance exactly where the CM of the alliance will not be from the BJP but a various NDA constituent. Rangasamy is a veteran leader and a prominent face in Puducherry politics, has been into active politics for more than 3 decades. When the V Narayanasamy-led government fell in February this year, the concentrate was squarely on the next move of N Rangasamy. After the Election Commission announced the poll schedule for Puducherry, there had been some variations involving the BJP and Rangasamy. Sensing this as an chance, the opposition DMK even went on to woo him inviting him to lead the SDA. However, the BJP managed to resolve the variations and announced that it will be contesting polls below the leadership of Rangasamy in Puducherry and he will be the CM candidate of the NDA.
Who is N Rangasamy?
Born on 4 August 1950, Rangasamy began his political journey with the Congress. He initial contested polls from Thattanchavady but lost to V. Pethaperumal by a margin of about 900 votes. Next year in 1991, he won from the very same seat by a margin of 7260 seats and that marked the starting of his winning streak that continues till date. He was elected to Puducherry Assembly from Thattanchavady constituency in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006. He then switched to Indiranagar and won from the constituency in 2011 and 2016.
In 1991, he was appointed agriculture minister, Co-operative minister in 1996 and Education Minister in 2000. He went on to lead the state in 2001 as the Congress Chief Minister and served till 2008. He quit Congress in 2011 to float his party All India NR Congress (AINRC). According to reports, he holds the record of becoming a chief minister inside just 3 months of floating a new party. Interestingly, Rangasamy is the only leader in the Union Territory who became the chief minister by beginning a new party. In the 2011 Elections, his party AINRC won 15 seats out of 17 seats it contested and its alliance companion All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) got 5 out of 10 seats it contested. N Rangasamy was the leader of opposition in the Puducherry assembly from 2016 to February 2021.
Due to his pro-folks policies, he is normally referred to as People’s chief minister (makkal mudhalvar). The credit for the initial government health-related college at Kathirkamam also goes to him. The well known leader can be normally observed travelling about the UT with zero safety and at times riding a motorcycle in his constituency. Due to his simplicity and ease of accessibility, he’s been nicknamed living Junior Kamaraj in the union territory.
NDA in Puducherry constitutes of AINRC, BJP and AIADMK. Puducherry is going to polls on April 6 and the counting of votes will take location on May 2.