BJP releases list of nine candidates for Puducherry election

PUDUCHERRY: BJP has released a list of nine candidates for 2026 Assembly election in Union territory of Puducherry, offering tickets to its sitting MLAs, including ministers, barring one. It has also given poll tickets to the speaker of legislative assembly, two nominated MLAs and party functionaries.In the opposition camp, seat-sharing talks between Congress and DMK hit a deadlock. Both parties were adamant on leading the alliance. Sources said that the Congress and DMK will arrive at a consensus to contest 14 seats each, leaving one each for CPM and VCK.BJP has proposed to contest 10 seats in the 30-member Puducherry legislative Assembly. It did not announce candidate for one seat as its alliance partner AIADMK, which was allotted two seats, insisted on one more seat. The saffron party will take a decision on AIADMK's demand before filing of nomination deadline closes on Monday. BJP has denied a ticket to sitting MLA and former minister Sai J Saravanan Kumar in the Ossudu constituency, replacing him with MLA E Theeppainthan. Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), founded by Jose Charles Martin, son of lottery magnate Santiago Martin, was offered two seats in NDA. All India NR Congress (AINRC), which leads NDA in Puducherry, will contest 16 seats. The Raj Bhavan constituency, currently held by public works minister K Lakshminarayanan (AINRC), has been allotted to BJP. Consequently, the BJP state president V P Ramalingam will contest from there, leaving Lakshminarayanan without a seat in his home turf. The move to take over the Raj Bhavan seat is largely seen as BJP's strategy to establish a direct presence in the heart of Puducherry's administrative centre. VCK general secretary D Ravikumar on Saturday, told reporters that the party initially demanded three seats out of the four shortlisted. But the alliance finalised one seat for the party.