N. Rangaswamy

In this Tamil name, there is no surname or family name. The name Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder is a patronym, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Rangaswamy.

N. Rangaswamy
Rangaswamy in 2015
9th Chief Minister of Puducherry
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2021
Lieutenant Governor	Tamilisai Soundararajan (2021–24) C. P. Radhakrishnan (2024) Kuniyil Kailashnathan (2024–)
Cabinet	Rangaswamy IV
Preceded by	President's rule
Constituency	Thattanchavady
In office 16 May 2011 – 6 June 2016
Lieutenant Governor	Iqbal Singh (2011–2013) Virendra Kataria (2013–2014) A. K. Singh (2014–2016)
Preceded by	V. Vaithilingam
Succeeded by	V. Narayanasamy
Constituency	Kadirgamam
In office 27 October 2001 – 4 September 2008
Lieutenant Governor	Mukut Mithi (2006–2008) Bhopinder Singh (2008) Govind Singh Gurjar Rajani Rai K. R. Malkani (2002–2003) P. S. Ramamohan Rao (2003–2004) Nagendra Nath Jha (2004) Madan Mohan Lakhera (2004–2006) Mukut Mithi (2006)
Preceded by	P. Shanmugam
Succeeded by	V. Vaithilingam
Constituency	Thattanchavady
12th Leader of the Opposition in Puducherry Legislative Assembly
In office 22 August 2016 – 22 February 2021
Preceded by	V. Vaithilingam
Succeeded by	R. Siva
Constituency	Indira Nagar
Other ministerial positions Minister for Agriculture and Co-operation in the Government of Puducherry In office 4 June 1991 – 13 May 1996 Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam Minister for Tourism, Education, Public Works, Civil Aviation and Art & Culture in the Government of Puducherry In office 26 May 1996 – 18 March 2000 Chief Minister R. V. Janakiraman Minister for Public Works, Agriculture and Forests in the Government of Puducherry In office 22 March 2000 – 26 October 2001 Chief Minister P. Shanmugam
In office 16 May 2016 – 22 February 2021
President of All India N.R. Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 February 2011
General Secretary	M. N. Balan<br>N. S. Jayabal
Preceded by	Office established
Personal details
Born	Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder Rangasamy (1950-08-04) 4 August 1950 Pondicherry, French India
Political party	All India NR Congress (since 2011)
Residence	Thilaspet, Puducherry

Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder Rangaswamy (born 4 August 1950) is an Indian politician who is serving as the Chief Minister of Puducherry since May 2021. He has previously served as the chief minister from 2001 to 2008 and from 2011 to 2016. He is the founding president of the political party All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), which was formed after a breakaway from the Indian National Congress in 2011.

Born in 1950, Rangaswamy completed his Bachelor of Commerce from Tagore Arts College and Bachelor of Laws from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College in Puducherry in 1977. He contested his first election as the Congress candidate from Thattanchavady Assembly constituency during the 1990 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election. He was elected as a member of the Pondicherry Legislative Assembly for four consecutive times from the same constituency, having first won in 1991. He served as a cabinet minister from 1991 to 2001, under three different chief ministers. He became the chief minister of Pondicherry for the first time in October 2001, and was re-appointed to the position after the Congress won the 2006 assembly elections.

Rangaswamy stepped down as the chief minister in August 2008 after internal issues within the party. Citing reconcilable differences, he formed his own party, AINRC, and contested in the 2011 assembly elections. He was elected as a member from the Kadirkamam constituency and was sworn in the chief minister for the third time in May 2016. He served as the leader of the opposition in the assembly from August 2016 to February 2021. His party won the 2021 assembly elections as a part of the National Democratic Alliance and he was sworn in as the chief minister for the fourth time on 7 May 2021.

Early life

Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder Rangaswamy was born on 4 August 1950 in Puducherry to parents Natesan Krishnasamy and Panchali.<ref name="One">"N Rangaswamy". One India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref><ref>"Emergency Response Support System". Government of Puducherry. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> He got his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Tagore Arts College and Bachelor of Laws from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Puducherry in 1977.<ref name="One"/><ref>"N Rangasamy". My Neta. Retrieved 11 March 2025.</ref><ref name="Jagran">"N Rangaswamy". Jagranjosh. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref>

Political career

Rangaswamy contested his first election as the Indian National Congress candidate from Thattanchavady Assembly constituency during the 1990 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election.<ref name="One"/><ref name="IT">"Rangasamy's clean image helped him humble Congress in Puducherry". India Today. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> However, he lost the elections to V. Pethaperumal of the Janata Dal (JD) by 982 votes.<ref>"1990 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021.</ref> However, the fall of the JD-led government led to the elections to the Pondicherry Legislative Assembly in 1991. Rangaswamy contested from the same constituency, and was elected as a member of the legislative assembly, after defeating Pethaperumal by 7,260 votes.<ref name="IT"/><ref>"1991 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021.</ref> He was appointed as the minister of agriculture and co-operation in the cabinet led by V. Vaithilingam.<ref name="Jagran"/><ref name="IT"/> After he won the 1996 assembly elections,<ref>"1996 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021.</ref> he was appointed as the minister for tourism, education, public works, civil aviation and art & culture in the R. V. Janakiraman cabinet.<ref name="Jagran"/> He won the 2001 assembly elections from Thattanchavady, defeating Pethaperumal for the third time.<ref>"2001 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021.</ref> He served as the minister for public works, agriculture and forests in the Pondicherry government under the chief ministership of P. Shanmugam from March 2000 to October 2001.<ref name="Jagran"/><ref name="IT"/>

Rangaswamy in 2014

Rangaswamy was appointed as the chief minister of Puducherry on 27 October 2001.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Jagran"/> After he led the Congress to victory in the 2006 assembly elections, in which he was elected for the fourth consecutive time from the same constituency, he was re-appointed as the chief minister for the second time in May 2006.<ref name="One"/><ref>"N Rangasamy appointed Pondicherry CM". Rediff. 13 May 2006. Retrieved 28 June 2022.</ref> However, following an internal strife within the Congress party, and faced with revolt from his fellow lawmakers, Rangaswamy offered his resignation as the chief minister on 28 August 2008, and was succeeded by Vaithiligam as the chief minister on 4 September 2008.<ref name="Jagran"/><ref>"Rangasamy resigns as Pondy CM". India Today. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> Later, on 21 January 2011, he resigned his position as the member of the legislative assembly, and quit the Congress party.<ref>"Rangasamy quits Congress, resigns as MLA". The Hindu. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref><ref>"Rangasamy quits Congress". The New Indian Express. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref>

Rangaswamy with prime minister Narendra Modi in March 2015

Ahead of the 2011 assembly elections, Rangaswamy announced the formation of a new party, All India N.R. Congress (AINRC), on 7 February 2011.<ref>"Rangasamy files application for floating new party". The Hindu. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> In the assembly elections held in April 2011, AINRC contested the elections in an alliance with the J. Jayalalithaa-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and won 15 out of the 17 seats it contested.<ref name="Jagran"/><ref>"AINRC-AIADMK front secures majority in Puducherry". India Today. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> However, after the results, AINRC formed the government independently, with the support of an Independent, which enabled it to get a majority in the 30-seat assembly.<ref>"Jayalalithaa accuses Puducherry CM of betrayal". The Economic Times. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2022.</ref> Rangaswamy won from the Kadirkamam Assembly constituency,<ref>"Puducherry General Legislative Election 2011". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 9 November 2021.</ref> and was sworn in the chief minister of Puducherry for the third time on 16 May 2011.<ref>"Rangasamy sworn in as Puducherry Chief Minister". India Today. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref>

In the 2016 assembly elections, AINRC was not part of any coalition after the AIADMK refused an alliance, and contested alone in all the 30 seats.<ref>"Tamil Nadu polls 2016: No alliance with AINRC, says AIADMK in Puducherry". Daily News and Analysis. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2022.</ref> Though Rangaswamy won from the Indira Nagar Assembly constituency,<ref name="One"/> the party won only eight seats in the assembly. Hence, Rangaswamy resigned as the chief minister on 6 June 2016.<ref>"Puducherry CM Rangasamy resigns". The Hindu. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> He later served as the leader of the opposition in the Puducherry assembly from August 2016 to February 2021.<ref name="One"/>

After the Puducherry government led by V. Narayanasamy lost a trust vote in the assembly in February 2021,<ref>"Congress loses Puducherry". Business Line. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.</ref> the 2021 legislative assembly elections were held in April 2021. The AINRC became part of the National Democratic Alliance and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK.<ref>"Puducherry Election 2021: UT registers 81.64% polling as Congress-led SDA locks horns with NDA in bid to regain turf". Firstpost. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.</ref> The NDA won 16 seats with AINRC winning 10 of the 16 seats it contested in the elections.<ref name="Result">"Puducherry Election Results 2021: NDA wins in Pondy by bagging 16 seats, here's the list of winners". India Today. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref> While Rangaswamy won from Indira Nagar,<ref name="Result"/> he lost from the Yanam constituency against independent candidate Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok.<ref>"Puducherry General Legislative Election 2021". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 9 November 2021.</ref> He was sworn in as the chief minister of Puducherry for the fourth time on 7 May 2021 with the support of the BJP and independents.<ref>"AINRC's Rangasamy sworn-in as Puducherry Chief Minister for fourth time". The Hindu. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2025.</ref>

Policies and governance

Rangaswamy is known as "junior Kamaraj" for his simple lifestyle, and soft-spoken nature.<ref name="IT"/> He earned the title "Makkal Mudhalvar" (people’s chief minister) for his reforms in education, poverty alleviation, and public welfare.<ref name="Jagran"/> During his tenure as chief minister, he had focused on regional development, local administrative reforms, and improved civic infrastructure.<ref name="One"/> He introduced several welfare and development schemes such as the "Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Housing Scheme" to make Puducherry a hut-free region by providing a ₹0.1 million (US$1,400) subsidy for concrete houses, the "Rajiv Gandhi Breakfast Scheme" offering breakfast and milk to government school students, the "Kamaraj Education Assistance Scheme" reimbursing tuition fees for under privileged students studying in professional colleges under the government quota, distribution of free text books and other equipments to school students, and pension scheme for the aged. He also implemented drinking water facilities through construction of overhead tanks.<ref name="One"/><ref name="Jagran"/><ref name="IT"/>

Elections contested and results

Year	Constituency	Party		Votes	%	Opponent			Votes	%	Result	Margin	%
1990	Thattanchavady		INC	8,521	46.00		JD	V. Pethaperumal	9,503	51.31	Lost	982	5.30
1991		12,545	69.71	5,285	29.37	Won	7,260		40.34
1996		9,989	42.95	7,699	33.11	Won	2,290		9.85
2001		14,323	58.90		JD(U)	8,769	36.06		Won	5,554	22.84
2006		27,024	90.16		AIADMK	T. Gunasekaran	2,026	6.76	Won	24,998	83.40
2011	Kadirgamam		All India N.R. Congress	16,323	70.02		INC	V. Pethaperumal	6,566	28.16	Won	9,757	41.86
2011	Indira Nagar	20,685	83.77	V. Aroumougam	4,008	16.23	Won	16,677	67.54
2016		15,463	52.53		12,059	41.09	Won	3,404	11.44
2021	Yanam	16,477	47.20		Independent	Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok	17,132	49.07	Lost	655	1.88
2021	Thattanchavady	12,978	55.02		CPI	K. Sethu	7,522	31.89	Won	5,456	23.13

External links

Political offices
Preceded by P Shanmugam	Chief Minister of Puducherry 27 October 2001 – 4 September 2008	Succeeded by V Vaithilingam
Preceded by V Vaithilingam	Chief Minister of Puducherry 16 May 2011 – 6 June 2016	Succeeded by Narayanasamy
Preceded by President's rule	Chief Minister of Puducherry 7 May 2021 -	Incumbent