Puducherry Assembly to be a mix of first-time legislators and veteran old timers

PUDUCHERRY: The 30 members that were elected to the Puducherry assembly yesterday are a mix of first-time legislators and veteran old timers making a comeback as the 12-year long Congress rule came to an end in the Union Territory.

The Assembly will have nine first-time MLAs along with a host of veterans that will reenter the House after varied periods of absence.

Of the nine new entrants to the Assembly, six were elected on All India NR Congress ( AINRC) tickets, from Mannadipet, Thattanchavady, Lawspet, Kalapet, Orleampet and Oussudu. The Nettapakkam and Mudaliarpet constituencies have returned freshers on AIADMK tickets while Karaikal (north) has returned a first timer on a Congress ticket.

Former chief minister N Rangasamy had yesterday led the AINRC he formed shortly before the polls to power, with the party winning 15 seats and its ally AIADMK five.

Congress ended with a tally of seven and DMK two. DMK rebel V M C Shivakumar won the Neravi T R Pattinam segment.

With regard to the first-time MLAs, former minister Theni C Jeyakumar (Congress) will have to contend with seeing his nephew and first-time legislator Ashok Anand (AINRC) on the treasury side after his party slumped to defeat in the polls.

AIADMK's state unit secretary A Anbalagan on the contrary will have beside him for company his younger brother A Baskar, who was elected from Mudaliarpet. While Anbalagan was elected for the third time in a row, Baskar is a first-timer.

Among the veterans making a comeback to the Assembly, P Purushothaman of AIADMK returns to the House after 26 years following his election from the newly-created Manavely constituency. Purushothaman was a member of the Assembly from Ariyankuppam in 1985.

V Sabapathy, elected on AINRC ticket from Ariyankuppam, is returning to the Assembly after 15 years. A four-time legislator who was elected from Mudaliarpet in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1985, he lost his seat to a CPI candidate in 1996.

M Chandrakasu, a former Congress minister belonging to Neduncadu in Karaikal, was returned on an AINRC ticket from the segment after a gap of ten years.