The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have released their respective list of candidates who will be contesting in the 2021 Puducherry Assembly election. Puducherry is currently under the President’s rule as the Congress-led government in the Union Territory fell after it lost the confidence motion on February 22. After V Narayanaswamy resigned as the Chief Minister, nobody staked claim to form a government in Puducherry. The term of the Puducherry Assembly was set to expire on June 8, 2021.
The Congress has announced 14 candidates for the 2021 election, while the BJP fielded nine candidates. Among the Congress candidates, the party has allotted one seat to a female candidate.
Puducherry will go to polls in a single phase on April 6, while counting of votes will take place on May 2.
With the Congress, DMK and the BJP-led NDA squaring off against each other, Puducherry will see a three-way fight in the upcoming election. The Congress, however, had witnessed a few defections, where at least three MLAs, including Namassivayam, joined the BJP.
The DMK, an ally of the Congress, said the party wants to contest in all the seats. However, a ruckus ensued at the Congress party’s office in Puducherry on Monday over seat-sharing, as the party cadres objected to giving away more seats to DMK.
The NR-Congress and the AIADMK formed an alliance with the NDA. NR-Congress will contest from 16 seats
The Puducherry Assembly has 33 seats, of which five are reserved and three members will be nominated by the Union Government through the Lt Governor. Thirty members of the Assembly will be elected by the voters.
List of Congress candidates
> Karthikeyan - Oussudu (SC)
> P Selvanadane - Kardirgramam
> M Kannan - Indira Nagar
> MOHF Shahjahan - Kamraj Nagar
> M Vaithianathan - Lawspet
> S Senthil Kumaran - Muthialpet
> T Djeamourthy - Ariankuppam
> RKR Anantharaman - Manavely
> M Kandasamy Embalam (SC)
> V Vizeaveny - Nettapakkam (SC)
> A Marimuthu - Nedungadu (SC)
> R Kamalakannan - Thirunallar
> AV Subramanian - Karaikal North
> Ramesh Preambath - Mahe
List of BJP candidates
> V Saminathan - Lawspet
> A Namassivayam - Mannadipet
> J Saravana Kumar - Oussidu (SC)
> A John Kumar - Kamaraj Nagar
> PML Kalyanasundaram - Kalapet
> Vivilian Richards Johnkumar - Nellithope
> Embalam R Selvam - Manavely
> GNS Rajasekaran - Thirunallar
> VMCS Manoharen - Neravy TR Pattinam