Rangasamy sworn in as Puducherry CM for record fifth time

PUDUCHERRY: All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder N Rangasamy was sworn in as the chief minister of the Union territory of Puducherry on Wednesday for a record fifth time. AINRC MLA Malladi Krishna Rao and BJP MLA A Namassivayam were sworn in as ministers.The portfolios of the chief minister and ministers will be announced later.Lieutenant governor K Kailashnathan administered the oath of office and secrecy to them in a ceremony at Lok Nivas,Earlier, Rangasamy was unanimously elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative group following the AINRC-led NDA victory in the 2026 assembly elections. The alliance secured a total of 18 seats in the 30-member house, ensuring a stable majority. AINRC secured 12 seats, while its ally BJP secured 4 seats and AIADMK and LJK one seat each.The formation of the full cabinet is expected shortly. Preliminary negotiations indicate that the BJP will likely retain the assembly speaker post and two ministerial berths, consistent with the power-sharing arrangement of the previous term.