PUDUCHERRY: All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder N Rangasamy was officially elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative group at a meeting of the alliance’s elected representatives on Friday. The representatives of all constituent parties, BJP, AIADMK and LJK handed over formal letters of support, unanimously electing Rangasamy as the head of the coalition.Immediately after the meeting, Rangasamy called on lieutenant governor K Kailashnathan, submitted the letters of support from elected members of the NDA and staked his claim to form the govt. The MLAs of the alliance partners accompanied him.“I have submitted the letter requesting the lieutenant governor to invite the NDA to form the govt,” Rangasamy told reporters after the meeting. “I will be taking the oath as chief minister on the morning of May 13.” Rangasamy remained tight-lipped about the allocation of portfolios among the alliance partners. He declined to comment on the possibility of the creation of a deputy chief minister post or the inclusion of the TVK party in the cabinet. He said the names of the speaker and ministers would be revealed only at the time of the appointment.However, Puducherry BJP president VP Ramalingame claimed that a preliminary agreement between AINRC and BJP had been reached. “As in the previous term, we requested the post of assembly speaker and two ministerial berths for the BJP. We have reached an understanding on this during our negotiations,” Ramalingame said. The NDA secured a comfortable majority by winning 18 out of 30 seats. AINRC, which leads the NDA in the Union territory. bagged 12 seats. The other constituents – BJP secured four and AIADMK and LJK one each. With a requirement of only 16 seats for a simple majority, the NDA with 18-members is well-positioned to establish a stable govt. Union minister and BJP observer Mansukh Mandaviya, Puducherry BJP legislative party leader A Namassivayam, Puducherry AIADMK secretary Anbalagan, and LJK founder Jose Charles Martin attended the meeting.
