In Pondy, AIADMK fields candidates for all 30 seats

Puducherry: Ending speculation on the revival of alliance with the All India NR Congress (AINRC), the AIADMK high command on April 4 announced its candidates for the ensuing 2016 assembly election for all the 30 constituencies in the Union territory of Puducherry.
The AIADMK has nominated all its five MLAs, A Anbalagan (Uppalam), A Baskar (Mudaliarpet), Om Sakthi Sekar (Nellithope), L Periyasamy (Nettapakkam reserved) and P Purushothaman (Manaveli), as its candidates for the election.They will seek re-election from their respective constituencies. Former Congress leader P Kannan, who joined AIADMK, will contest from Raj Bhavan constituency while all the popular leaders from other political parties, who joined AIADMK recently, have been rewarded with party tickets.
Erstwhile AINRC functionaries, former MLA K Natarajan and Vaiyapuri Manikandan, will contest from Mangalam and Muthialpet respectively while former Congress leader Kasilingam alias Ezhumalai will contest from Kalapet and former DMK leader M A S Subramanian from Ariyankuppam.
Independent MLA V M C Sivakumar, who joined AIADMK, will contest from Neravy T R Pattinam, while Puducherry traders' association president M Sivasankaran from Oulgarat and former government servant Paneerselvam from Nedungadu.
Political pundits are of the strong opinion that AIADMK has only announced its candidates and has not shut the doors on AINRC. They argue that AIADMK would reconsider its decision to fight the election alone if AINRC comes forward to sign alliance deal promising to share power if the alliance formed the government in the Union territory.
AINRC and AIADMK fought 2011 polls together along with CPI and DMDK and the combine won 20 (AINRC 15 and AIADMK 5) of the 30 assembly seats. Chief minister and AINRC founder-leader N Rangasamy, however, dumped his alliance partner, and formed the government with the support of an independent candidate (who has now joined AIADMK).
AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa made a scathing attack on Rangasamy accusing him of betraying her party by not offering share in power, which was a pre-poll pact. She wondered how 'a leader, who backstabbed his own alliance partner, will do any good thing for the people of Puducherry'. She condemned Rangasamy for being 'untrustworthy' and 'ungrateful' and betraying her party. She said Puducherry people voted for the alliance in 2011 polls mainly because of the trust they reposed in her and her party.