Puducherry:
All 378 nominations filed by candidates for the April 13 Assembly polls here will be taken up for scrutiny on March 28.
Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam together have a total of 30 constituencies.
While 285 candidates have filed nominations for 23 constituencies in Puducherry region, 58 were filed for five segments in Karaikal. Twenty six nominations were filed for the lone Yanam segment (an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh) nine for Mahe constituency (an enclave in Kerala).
The last day for withdrawal of nominations is March 30.
The ruling Congress is fighting the polls in alliance with DMK, VCK and PMK, while All India NR Congress headed by former Chief Minister N Rangasamy will contest it in alliance with AIADMK, DMDK and Left parties.
Speaker R Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister V Vaithilingam and cabinet colleagues A Namassivayam, M O H F Shahjahan and M Kandasamy will seek election from new segments due to delimitation of constituencies.
Home Minister E Valsaraj and Revenue Minister Malladi Krishna Rao however seek re-election from home constituencies of Mahe and Yanam.
The election is considered more crucial for the ruling Congress as it has to take on the fledgling AINRC.
Rangasamy was Chief Minister between 2001 and 2006 and again for two and half years from 2006. He was ousted in August 2008 by AICC after revolt by ministerial colleagues. The present government under Vaithilingam was installed in September 2008.
Union Minister V Narayanasamy has said UPA would bring to focus 'achievements' of the Congress government here and also place before voters various proposals for development of Puducherry with cooperation of the Centre.
Rangasamy has already trained his guns against the government with a slew of scams and corrupt practices. At his party`s first conference here on Mar 6, he demanded a judicial probe into implementation of housing projects and working of public sector undertakings.