Puducherry's Thattanchavady constituency goes to bypoll on Oct 6; 11 in fray

Puducherry: The Thattanchavady Assembly constituency in Puducherry will go to a byelection on October 6.

The byelection has become necessary after AINRC leader and Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who emerged victorious from the segment as well as the Mangalam constituency in the April 9 general election, vacated the Thattanchavady seat and retained the other constituency.

Rangasamy has represented Thattanchavady since his first electoral victory from the constituency in 1991. The AINRC has now fielded former legislator Ashok Anand in the byelection with the support of the BJP, the AIADMK and the Lakshiya Jananayaga Katchi.


There are 11 contestants in the fray, including Anand. The DMK has fielded K Sethu Selvam, while the CPI's nominee is M A Saleem. The Congress has fielded E Vinayagam, who is backed by the TVK. The Naam Tamilar Katchi's candidate is S Karthi Kumari.

The parties that have fielded candidates have been conducting hectic campaigns in the constituency. Pro tem Speaker A Anbalagan of the AIADMK has been campaigning alongside the AINRC candidate, visiting voters door to door.

The Thattanchavady constituency has a total of 26,616 voters.

In the April 9 election, AINRC candidate and Chief Minister Rangasamy retained the segment with a margin of 4,441 votes over his nearest rival, E Vinayagam of the Neyam Makkal Kazhagam, who is now contesting as the Congress candidate. Vinayagam joined the Congress last month, and the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam has extended its support to him in the current poll.

Thattanchavady is an urban Assembly segment in the Puducherry region and is part of the Oulgaret municipality.

Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.

Byelections have, by and large, been politically significant in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Poll observers recall the politically significant byelection held in Ariankuppam in 1972, which drew national attention at the time.

The election authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the forthcoming byelection and issued various dos and don'ts for political parties and contestants.

AINRC candidate Ashok Anand is the nephew of former Puducherry Agriculture Minister Theni C Djeacoumar of the AINRC. Anand is a close confidant of the CM, who has been conducting an intensive campaign and seeking voters' support for him in the upcoming poll.