N Rangasamy Biography

N Rangasamy became the 18th Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Pondicherry (Puducherry) on May 16, 2011. He had earlier served as Chief Minister in 2001 and had continued for seven years.

He was asked to step down as Chief Minister by the Congress in 2008. A former Congressman, N Rangasamy broke from the Indian National Congress to float his own party -the All India N R Congress (AINRC) – in 2011 and the AINRC won its debut Union territory elections in alliance with the AIADMK.

He was elected the Assembly from two segments- Indira Nagar and Kadirkamam- which were carved out of Thattanchavadi constituency in 2011.

During his long stint as a Chief Minister in 2001 he brought in developmental reforms in the tiny Union territory. Housing subsidy for hut dwellers, free breakfast for school children, financial assistance for students in professional colleges, and a host of other infrastructural reforms consolidated his popularity.

Background

Born on 4th August, 1950 at Pondicherry, the unassuming politician, known for his simple lifestyle is a bachelor. He belongs to the backward Vanniyar community but rose in politics as a Congress politician of the small Union territory. Nicknamed ‘Junior Kamaraj’, and inspired by the late politician, N Rangasamy quit practicing law to become a politician.

Political career

He made his political foray from Thattanchavadi constituency in 1990. He was, however, unsuccessful as he lost the assembly election.

He hit the bulls-eye on his second attempt in 1991 after the fall of the DMK-Janata Dal coalition. He was made the Agriculture and PWD Minister in the Congress government headed by CM, V Vaidialingam.

In 2000, he was again elected to the Legislative Assembly from Thattanchavadi, and made the Education minister in the Congress government headed by P Shanmugam. Within a year, N Rangasamy replaced P Shanmugam as CM. He was reelected from Thattanchavadi in the Assembly elections in 2006 and again served as Chief Minister. In September 2008, the Congress high command replaced him with V Vaidialingam as Chief Minister.

N Rangasamy was sidelined by the Congress in the following years. In 2011, on the eve of the Assembly elections, he broke from the Congress to float his own regional party -the AINRC.

In the 2011 Assembly elections, the AINRC and AIDMK combine ousted the ruling Congress by securing a majority in the legislative Assembly. N Rangasamy became the Chief Minister of Pondicherry and the head of a coalition government.