Puducherry assembly elections: AINRC gives MLAs chance to retain seats

All India NR Congress (AINRC) released on Friday the list of candidates contesting the assembly polls on the last day of filing nomination papers in Puducherry.
AINRC founder N Rangasamy offered seats to all his MLAs, former ministers and former MLAs from other parties who joined his party ahead of the polls. All the candidates have filed their nomination papers even before the party officially named them.
AINRC, which leads the NDA in Puducherry, is contesting 16 seats while the BJP is contesting from nine and AIADMK in five. The BJP and AIADMK had named their candidates on Tuesday.
Congress, which leads the Social Progressive Alliance, is contesting from 15 seats and its ally the DMK has got 13 seats. CPI and VCK, part of the alliance, are contesting from one seat each. Congress has not fielded a candidate in Yanam against Rangasamy.
Congress will fight AINRC in eight constituencies and the BJP in five. The DMK is locked in a contest against AIADMK in four seats.
A few AINRC supporters have filed nomination papers as independent candidates in constituencies where BJP is contesting.