Chennai: The seat sharing between All India N R Congress (AINRC) and BJP has been ‘almost finalized’, for the upcoming assembly election in Puducherry, said sources in both the parties. While AINRC is set to retain 16 seats that it contested in 2021 assembly polls, BJP is set to contest in 10 seats – one more than the last elections. However, the question of seat allocation for another ally, AIADMK and the new entrant Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) remains unanswered. AIADMK contested five seats in 2021. But the party is likely to reduce its share this time as AINRC – BJP combine wants to accommodate LJK, launched by lottery baron Santiago Martin’s son Jose Charles Martin.
“Our leader has conveyed to Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday that it was keen to contest 16 of Puducherry’s 30 assembly seats in the 2026 elections,” said an AINRC leader. Shah had agreed, but wanted more seats for BJP, said the leader. A senior BJP leader from the Puducherry unit said, “Discussions between the BJP and AINRC leadership progressed smoothly, and seat-sharing between the two parties is almost finalized.” However, the emerging arithmetic narrowed the space for other NDA ally, AIADMK. The AIADMK contested all 30 seats on its own in 2016 and failed to win any. In 2021, it contested five seats as part of the NDA but again drew a blank. The exit of local leaders weakened its prospects further. Since Jose Charles who recently joined the NDA has been seeking “one or two seats”, AIADMK’s share would likely be reduced, said the BJP leader.
