Pondicherry: AINRC Chief N Rangasamy Files Papers From Thattanchavady

Founder of AINRC and Opposition Leader in the outgoing Assembly N Rangasamy filed nomination on Monday seeking election from Thattanchavady constituency in the April 6 polls here. 

Rangasamy contested from Kadirkamam constituency in the last poll held in 2016. Now, he seeks to contest from Thattanchavady which was his pocketborough in the past. He told reporters after filing nomination that the NDA, headed by AINRC in the Union Territory, would romp home in the poll. He said he would also file nomination on Wednesday in the lone segment in Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry, in Andhra Pradesh). Former Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao (Congress), who quit the ministerial post and also the MLA post in February, extended support and started wooing voters to back Rangasamy through extensive campaign even before the latter filed the nomination. A K D Arumugham, who crossed over to AINRC a few weeks ago from Congress, filed the papers as AINRC nominee in the Indira Nagar segment.

Former Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister, K Lakshminarayanan, who shifted his allegiance from Congress to AINRC in February, filed his nomination seeking retention of Raj Bhavan constituency on AINRC ticket.

The DMK nominee S P Sivakumar, a former Education Minister, filed his papers to contest from Raj Bhavan constituency and he would lock horns with Lakshminarayanan in the constituency.

A John Kumar who quit the Congress in February and joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed the papers to retain Kamaraj Nagar constituency. Kumar told PTI that his son Richards John Kumar, who also joined the BJP along with him in February, filed nomination y to contest from Nellithope constituency on BJP ticket. P M L Kalyanasundaram, a former AINRC legislator, filed papers as BJP nominee in Kalapet constituency.

G Nehru, who was AINRC legislator between 2011 and 2016, filed papers now as Independent seeking to regain Orleanpet. Among the others who filed nominations included the DMK candidates R Siva (Villianoor constituency), L Sampath (Mudaliarpet) and Gopal (Orleanpet).

Congress would release names of its candidates on Tuesday, party sources said. The party has been allotted 15 seats out of the total 30 constituencies and is part of the Secular Democratic alliance comprising DMK, VCK, left parties among others. The DMK has been earmarked 13 constituencies.

The party has already announced names of its candidates for 12 out of the 13 segments. CPI, a constituent of the Secular Democratic Alliance, has been allotted the Thattanchavady constituency. The party secretary A M Saleem told newsmen that Sedhu Selvam was the CPI nominee from the Thattanchavady segment.