- N Rangasamy and V Vaithilingam, both former CMs, contest Thattanchavady seat in 2026 elections
- Thattanchavady has been a stronghold of N Rangasamy and his party, AINRC, since 2011
- Lawspet is a traditional Congress stronghold with new competition from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
With the 2026 Puducherry Assembly elections slated for April 9, two seats are attracting significant attention due to prominent candidates and a new party joining the race.
Thattanchavady – Two Former CMs Face Off
In Thattanchavady, the 2026 elections have turned into a high-profile contest as incumbent Chief Minister and AINRC founder N Rangasamy would be in direct contest against Congress MP V Vaithilingam, a former CM of the Union Territory.
Thattanchavady has largely been a stronghold of Rangasamy over the years. He won the seat four times consecutively from 1991 to 2006 as a Congress candidate.
Before the 2011 elections, N Rangasamy started a new political party called the All India NR Congress (AINRC). In 2011 and 2016, the Thattanchavady seat was won by Ashok Anand, who belonged to Rangasamy's new party.
During the 2019 by-election, K Venkatesan of the DMK captured the seat briefly. However, in the 2021 Assembly election, N Rangasamy reclaimed the seat for his party, the AINRC. He won with 12,978 votes, followed by CPI candidate K Sethu with 7,522 votes.
Lawspet: TVK Disrupts An Old Rivalry
On the other hand, Lawspet has traditionally been a Congress stronghold, with the party winning the seat most of the time since 1980. The constituency did change hands twice in the past, once in 1996, when DMK won, and again in 2011, when AINRC captured it.
In the 2021 Assembly election, Congress leader M Vaithianathan won with 14,592 votes. He defeated BJP's V Saminathan, who received 8,891 votes.
This year, the scenario in Lawspet is different as Tamil superstar Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is contesting for the first time. The party has fielded V Saminathan against Vaithianathan.
Whereas, VP Sivakolundhu will represent the AINRC. R Rajangam is the face of CPM, and K Jeya Chithra is NTK's candidate.
The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on April 9 to elect 30 MLAs. The results will be declared on May 4.
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