CM N Rangasamy's charisma, divided opposition give NDA a second tenure in Puducherry

PUDUCHERRY: A fragmented opposition, All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder and chief minister N Rangasamy's charisma and his govt's freebies ensured NDA retained power in the Union territory of Puducherry. The opposition parties, Congress, DMK and others, failed to present a unified front against the mightier AINRC-BJP-AIADMK-LJK combine.Congress fielded candidates in five constituencies allotted to its alliance partner DMK, leading to confusion among functionaries and cadres of the two parties and voters alike. And INDIA bloc was decimated in the polls. Rangasamy, who won in both the seats he contested, is set to become CM for a record fifth time. Apart from his maiden poll in 1990, Rangasamy had won all the eight assembly elections he contested since 1991.NDA won 18 seats (AINRC-12, BJP-4, AIADMK-1 and LJK-1). A total of 16 seats is required for a simple majority in the 30-member House. The INDIA bloc won six seats (DMK-5 and Congress-1). Several seats witnessed neck-and-neck battles. Independent candidates won three seats."The victory is because of Rangasamy's ‘Makkal mudalvar' (people's chief minister) appeal. He is easily accessible, and has an image of a down-to-earth person with the right connect with the people. His victory in Thattanchavady with an increased margin of 4,441 votes underscores his popularity," said political commentator K Murugan.Political pundits also attributed the victory to the govt's welfare schemes and freebies. "The govt's focus on populist schemes, including 2,500 monthly assistance to woman heads of households, free grain distribution, and 100% increase in fixed deposit amounts under Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme resonated with voters," said political observer S Balasubramanian.INDIA bloc suffered from internal friction and a lack of issues to counter Rangasamy. Critics noted that the alliance failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency, largely due to a "disoriented" campaign and last-minute confusion over seat-sharing."The delay in seat-sharing and confusion over the choice of constituencies between Congress and DMK further dented the chances of the opposition. The cold war between Congress and DMK leaders, including leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and DMK president M K Stalin cost the parties heavily, both in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu," said P Umapathy, a Congress cadre.The emergence of Vijay's TVK in the Union territory has introduced a new set of dynamics. TVK got significant vote shares in most of the constituencies, acting as a disruptor for the two major alliances.As Rangasamy prepares for another term, the focus will now shift to cabinet formation and managing the demands of alliance partners, particularly BJP and smaller constituents such as LJK, who are vying for ministerial berths.BJP will be demanding. "There is no doubt that NR (Rangasamy) will be chief minister, but we will insist on the creation of a deputy chief minister post for BJP. That was our demand in 2021, but it was not fulfilled. We hope NR concedes to our demand," said a BJP functionary on condition of anonymity.