Puducherry, May 4 (IANS) The NDA alliance strengthened its position in the Puducherry Assembly election results on Monday, with key victories and early trends indicating a clear edge over the Congress-led front.

In a significant result, BJP candidate A. Namassivayam secured a decisive victory from the Mannadipet Assembly constituency, defeating his Congress rival TPR Selvame by a margin of 6,110 votes. The win marks a notable improvement for the BJP leader, who had won the seat by a much narrower margin of 2,750 votes in the 2021 elections.

The expanded margin this time reflects stronger consolidation of support in favour of the BJP in the constituency.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy retained his stronghold of Thattanchavady, winning the seat by 4,441 votes. The victory reinforces Rangasamy’s continued political dominance in the constituency and bolsters the position of the All India NR Congress (AINRC), a key constituent of the NDA alliance in the union territory.

As counting progressed across Puducherry, the NDA alliance surged ahead with leads in 13 seats, indicating a comfortable advantage in the 30-member Assembly.

The AINRC emerged as the principal contributor within the alliance, accounting for the majority of these leads, while the BJP’s improved performance in select constituencies added to the coalition’s momentum.

In contrast, the Congress-led alliance struggled to keep pace, managing leads in just six seats in early trends.

Within the opposition bloc, the DMK was ahead in three constituencies, while the Congress led in two, reflecting a fragmented performance that has so far failed to challenge the NDA’s dominance.

Interestingly, candidates outside the major alliances also made their presence felt.

Independents were leading in three constituencies, while actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) opened its account in Puducherry by leading in one seat.

These “Others,” holding a total of four seats in early trends, could prove crucial in the event of tighter margins in the final rounds of counting.

With counting still underway, the trends suggest a clear advantage for the NDA alliance, even as the Congress-led front looks to regain ground in the remaining rounds.

–IANS

aal/dpb