Puducherry, March 20 Chief Minister and AINRC founder N Rangasamy was among a large number of candidates who filed nominations on Friday for the April 9 Assembly polls here.
Rangasamy filed nominations in the Thattanchavady and Mangalam segments. Thattanchavady has been his stronghold, and he now seeks to retain the constituency.
Agriculture Minister Theni C Djeacoumar (AINRC) emerged victorious in the Mangalam constituency in the 2021 elections. He is not contesting the upcoming election, and Rangasamy filed the papers in Mangalam as an AINRC nominee.
Rangasamy contested the 2021 elections in two segments – Thattanchavady and Yanam, an enclave in Andhra Pradesh. While he emerged victorious from Thattanchavady, he was defeated in Yanam by an independent candidate, Gollapalli Srinivasa Ashok, in 2021.
AINRC and BJP reached an understanding on Friday regarding seat-sharing, in the presence of Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who is the BJP's election in-charge in Puducherry.
While AINRC will contest from 16 seats, the BJP will contest in 10 segments, and the AIADMK and Latchia Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) have been allocated two seats each as part of the NDA.
Speaker of the outgoing Assembly, R Selvam (BJP), is seeking re-election from the Manavely constituency.
Former Speaker of the territorial Assembly, V P Sivakolundhu, filed the nomination in Lawspet, and he seeks to wrest the Lawspet seat from the Congress.
Home Minister and BJP leader A Namassivayam, who seeks to retain the Mannadipet constituency, filed the nomination.