Congress releases names of 14 candidates for Puducherry, leaves out ex-CM V Narayanasamy

Puducherry: The Congress on Tuesday announced names of candidates for 14 seats for the 6 April Puducherry Assembly elections but the list did not contain the name of party veteran and former chief minister V Narayanasamy. The Congress, which heads the Secular Democratic Alliance in the union territory, was allotted 15 of the 30 Assembly seats while its ally-the DMK- was earmarked 13 constituencies. VCK and CPI, the other constituents of the alliance, have been earmarked one seat each. In a release, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced the list of candidates for 14 seats which significantly did not include the name of Narayanasamy, whose government fell last month after it lost the trust vote. While the candidates for 14 constituencies were released, the nominee for Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh, has not been announced. Former Industries Minister Shah Jahan has been fielded from Kamaraj Nagar. He had contested the last poll in 2016 poll from Kalapet constituency which has been by and large the traditional seat for the Congress. PCC president AV Subramanian is contesting from his hometown of Karaikal (north). Former Ministers M Kandasamy and R Kamalakannan have been fielded again in Embalam (reserved) and Tirunallar in Karaikal respectively. The 14 seats are spread over Puducherry (10), Karaikal (three) and Mahe (one). Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party which has been allocated nine seats as part of the NDA, also released its list of candidates. Former PWD Minister A Namassivayam has been fielded from Mannadipet constituency and the president of the BJP State committee V Saminathan is the nominee for the Lawspet segment. A John Kumar and his son Richards John Kumar have been allotted the Kamaraj Nagar and Nellithope seats respectively.