Puducherry BJP unit undergoes major reshuffle as minister, 3 nominated MLAs step down

Ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, the Puducherry unit of the BJP has undergone a major reshuffle. Former nominated MLA V.P. Ramalingam has been appointed the new president of the Puducherry unit of the BJP after the central leadership accepted his nomination to the post..

Ramalingam, who resigned as a nominated MLA on June 27, was the sole contender for the post and has been elected unopposed to lead the party. The BJP is a coalition partner in the AINRC-led government in Puducherry.

Ramalinga, 63 who joined the BJP in 2021, ahead of the then assembly general elections was a member of the Congress party. He was nominated MLA as soon as Chief Minister N. Rangasamy-led AINRC-BJP government won the election in 2021. His nomination was considered a reward to the political loyalty that his elder brother V.P Sivakozhundhu, the then assembly speaker, showed towards the toppling of the V. Narayasamy-led Congress government then. Sivakozhundhu was a Congress MLA then. Ramalingam has his own business entity and is the Managing Director of Sri Sabthagiri Group of Companies.

The BJP, which formed the government in coalition with Rangasamy’s AINRC, wants to win on its own in the upcoming elections and enter the Tamil territory solely. Ramalingam is expected to spearhead the party affairs in the Union territory, during the 2026 assembly elections, despite his limited experience and organisational skills. Sources in Puducherry political circles say that Ramalingam will be the face of the party, with former ministers and senior strategists mentor him.

While Ramalingam is the president of the state unit, party seniors, A. Namassivayam and S. Selvaganabathy, have filed their nominations for appointment as national council members of the party. Namassivayam was once a minister in the Congress cabinet and was the first to switch to the BJP in 2021.

Earlier on Friday, to facilitate the smooth nomination process, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister A.K. Sai Saravanan Kumar and three nominated MLAs — V.P. Ramalingam, K Venkatesan, and R.B. Ashok Babu stepped down. The resignations are looked at as a part of a larger strategy. While Ramalingam has been appointed as the state president, the others are also likely to get lucrative positions as they resigned on the instructions of the party high command. Sources say that the party wants to bring in new faces into the party and turn Puducherry as BJP’s stronghold in the south, only to get into Tamil Nadu soon.

Meanwhile, three new names have been finalised for the vacant nominated MLA posts. Former Congress MLA E. Theepainjan, present BJP vice president D. Selvam and S. Rajasekaran, are likely to be nominated to the vacant posts. The three names have been finalised by BJP Puducherry in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana. 

India