AINRC, allies wrest Puducherry from Cong

The All India NR Congress (AINRC)-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alliance has won 20 of the 30 constituencies in Puducherry, setting stage for the alliance to forge a government.

With the results announced for all the 30 constituencies in the Union Territory, comprising 23 constituencies in Puducherry, five in Karaikal and one each in Yanam and Mahe, AINRC alone won 15 seats, while the AIADMK won five, according to the Election Commission of India report. The alliance has crossed the halfway mark of 16 seats to form the next government.

The Indian National Congress (INC)-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance, ruling till now, has won a total of nine constituencies. INC has won in seven seats and DMK candidates were elected in two seats.

An independent candidate, V M C Sivakkumar, won the constituency of Neravy T R Pattinam, with a margin of 358 votes against the DMK candidate.

N Rangasamy, former chief minister for the Union Territory and chief of AINRC, won in Indira Nagar against

V Aroumougam of INC for a margin of 16,677 votes. He also marked a victory in Kadirgamam constituency against V Pethaperumal of INC for a margin of 9757 votes.

Chief Minister V Vaithilingam won in Kamaraj Nagar, defeating Nara Kalainathan of Communist Party of India, while health minister E Valsaraj was elected from Mahe defeating T K Gangadharan of Communist Party of India (Marxist). Revenue minister Malladi Krishna Rao is also elected from Yanam. However, welfare minister M Kandasamy lost his seat to R Rajavelu of AINRC at Embalam.

Rangasamy formed AINRC after he was replaced by Vaithilingam as Chief Minister of the Congress-led government in Puducherry in 2008.

Puducherry recorded a turnout of 85.57 per cent of 805,000 votes during the polling held on April 13.