N. Rangasamy Sworn in as Chief Minister of Puducherry for the Fifth Time

Mumbai, May 13: Veteran leader and founder of the AIADMK, N. Rangasamy, took the oath of office as the Chief Minister of Puducherry for the fifth time on Wednesday. Alongside him, Malladi Krishna Rao from AIADMK and A. Namassivayam from BJP also took their oaths as ministers.

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan at the Raj Nivas, where all leaders pledged to uphold their duties. N. Rangasamy has previously served as Chief Minister four times (2001-2006, 2006-2008, 2011-2016, and from 2021 to the present).

The event was attended by BJP National President Nitin Naveen and senior leader B.L. Santosh. The NDA coalition recently won the assembly elections, retaining power in the region.

After taking the oath, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy expressed his happiness, stating, “I am extremely pleased to assume office as Chief Minister of Puducherry for the fifth time. We will work for the welfare of the people and the development of the state. My government will implement every measure, whether it involves expediting specific tasks or launching new initiatives to aid the state’s progress. Other ministers will also take their oaths soon.”

In the 2026 Puducherry assembly elections, the NDA coalition performed impressively, securing 17 out of 30 seats. This marks the second consecutive term for the NDA coalition government. The All India N.R. Congress emerged as the largest party, winning 12 seats.

On the other hand, the Congress-DMK alliance managed to secure six seats, with Congress winning one and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) winning five.

The TVK-Neyam Makkal Kazhagam alliance, led by Joseph Vijay, won three seats, with TVK claiming two and Neyam Makkal Kazhagam one. Additionally, independent candidates won three seats.

The 2026 Puducherry assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, with vote counting taking place on May 4. The elections featured a four-way contest among the Congress-DMK alliance, the NR Congress-BJP alliance, the TVK-Neyam Makkal Kazhagam alliance led by Vijay, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi party led by Seeman.

In the Thattanchavadi assembly seat, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy achieved a significant victory, receiving 10,024 votes, while his opponent E. Vinayagam from Neyam Makkal Kazhagam garnered 5,583 votes. Rangasamy won by a margin of 4,441 votes.

In contrast, during the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP secured the presidency and two ministries. In the previous term, the BJP also appointed three nominated legislators and held a seat in the Rajya Sabha.