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Ve Vaithilingam

INC | Thattanchavady | Puducherry
Awaited

V Vaithilingam, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister, is leading the party’s campaign in Puducherry. He represents the Congress in the alliance with DMK and is a central figure in the Opposition’s strategy to challenge the NDA government. His political experience and organisational influence make him one of the most significant candidates in the 2026 elections.

Born on October 5, 1950, Vaithilingam was the 11th Chief Minister of Pondicherry from 1991 to 1996 and the 16th Chief Minister of Puducherry again from 2008 to 2011. He is a senior legislator serving eight consecutive terms.

His family has deep roots in Puducherry's political and colonial history — his paternal grandfather was Mayor of Nettapakkam commune during French rule, and his father V Venkatasubha Reddiar was also a Chief Minister of Pondicherry.

Educated at Loyola College in Chennai, Vaithilingam first won a legislative seat in 1985. He became Chief Minister at the age of 40, the second youngest to hold the post.

In 2019, he was elected to the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat and in 2024 retained it, defeating BJP candidate A Namassivayam by a margin of 136,616 votes.

For 2026, he is contesting from Thattanchavady as Puducherry Congress president, setting the stage for a direct confrontation with incumbent Chief Minister N Rangasamy.

The contest between him and Rangasamy — both former chief ministers who were once in the same party — has made Thattanchavady the most-watched seat in Puducherry.

Candidate Info: Ve. Vaithilingam is the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate contesting from Thattanchavady (General) Assembly constituency for the 2026 Puducherry Assembly elections. This male candidate is 75 years of age, according to the election affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India.


Thattanchavady Assembly election results

2021
PartyParty votes polledVotes %Candidate name
AINRC12,97855.02%
N. Rangasamy
Margin:
5,456 (23.13%)
winner
CPI7,52231.89%K. Sethu @ Sethu Selvam
NTK1,1835.02%D. Ramesh
MNM1,0294.36%R. Rajendhiran
NOTA4381.86%Nota
IND1280.54%C. Anusuya
DMDK1030.44%S.T. Narassingam
AMMKMNKZ610.26%Vimala Sree. B.
IND540.23%K. Murugan
IND480.2%L. Manikandan
2016
2011

Previous candidate
K Kathiresan
Next candidate
N Rangasamy

First Published: August 29, 2025, 05:40 IST

Last Updated: April 20, 2026 at 05:07 PM IST

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Ve Vaithilingam


Candidate details

PartyIndian National Congress
Age75
GenderM
Phase1
Poll DateApril 9, 2026
Counting of votes/Results date:May 4, 2026
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Assembly cons. Results

Cons. name202120162011
MannadipetBJPAINRCAINRC
ThirubhuvanaiINDAINRCAINRC
OussuduBJPINCAINRC
MangalamAINRCAINRCINC
VillianurDMKINCINC
OzhukaraiINDINCAINRC
KadirgamamAINRCAINRCAINRC
Indira NagarAINRCAINRCAINRC
ThattanchavadyAINRCAINRCAINRC
Kamaraj NagarBJPINCINC