N Rangasamy, AINRC chief and new Chief Minister of Puducherry, started his political journey with the Congress and has been in active politics for over three decades during which he has won six assembly elections.

Rangasamy, 70, who is often seen riding a motorcycle on the streets of Puducherry, is a commerce and law graduate and started off as an assistant to a minister in late 80s. He soon realised where the power lay and decided to contest assembly elections in 1990.

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His electoral debut in 1990 ended with a loss from Thattanchavady seat. He lost to V. Pethaperumal by a margin of around 900 votes. Next year in 1991, he won from the same seat by a margin of 7260 seats and then there was no looking back. He successfully contested from Thattanchavady assembly constituency in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006. He then switched to Indiranagar and won from there in 2011 and 2016. This time, he again switched to Thattanchavady and won by  12978 votes.

After 2001 when elections, he headed the Congress government as chief minister till 2008. But differences cropped up between him and Congress state leadership and he quit the party in 2011 and floated his own outfit All India NR Congress (AINRC). Within three months of floating his party, Rangasamy took over as chief minister again.

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Often referred to as ‘makkal mudhalvar’ (people’s chief minister), Rangasamy started various schemes for socio-economic development like ‘Perunthalaivar Kamarajar’ Housing Scheme, distribution of free textbooks, note books, rain coats, cycles, umbrella and free LPG connection with free stove and cylinder to BPL families.

In the 2021 assembly elections, AINRC bagged 10 seats out of the 16 it contested in the April 6 polls while the BJP garnered six out of the nine seats it contested. The total strength of the Assembly is 30 and sixteen is the magic number for formation of a ministry. Six independents elected to the House are known to be supporters of Rangasamy. The DMK won six segments out of 13 seats it contested. The Congress won only only two out of the 14 seats it contested.