Rangasamy stakes claim to form government in Puducherry

All India N R Congress chief N Rangasamy on Monday met Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and staked claim to form government in the Union Territory. He will head the new government with support from the BJP, which will be part of the cabinet as it has won six seats in the just-concluded assembly elections.

AINRC won 10 seats, and BJP 6, while its other alliance partner AIADMK failed to win any seat. Rangasamy will now be the Chief Minister of Puducherry after a gap of five years – this will be his fourth shot at power. Flanked by BJP leaders A Namassivayam and Nirmal Kumar Surana, Rangasamy handed over letters of support of 16 MLAs to Soundararajan at the Raj Nivas here.

Three letters – one from AINRC electing Rangasamy as the Legislative Party leader, one from BJP extending support to him, and another containing the list of all 16 MLAs from the two parties – were submitted to the L-G.

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“The MLAs of the alliance have elected N Rangasamy as their leader. I have got letters of support from 10 AINRC and 6 BJP MLAs. All have come here. As per the protocol, I will administer the oath of office to the legislative party leader at a date fixed by him,” Soundararajan said. Rangasamy will be sworn-in as Chief Minister any time this week at an 'auspicious date.”

The development came after high drama for the whole of Monday during which the BJP is understood to have sought the CM's post for itself, flaunting its number. However, Rangasamy is believed to have told the BJP leaders that the alliance was formed based on the commitment that he would be the Chief Minister.

BJP, which has six elected members, can get three more members nominated to the 30-member Assembly through the Union Government. The party feels Puducherry will be a springboard for it to make inroads in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.