V. Saminathan’s Political Journey Reflects BJP’s Gradual Rise in Puducherry’s Lawspet Constituency

Over the years, Saminathan emerged as a key organisational pillar, serving three terms as President of the BJP’s Puducherry unit. His leadership helped expand the party’s visibility and grassroots network in the region. Belonging to the Sengunthar community, he has remained politically active, particularly in the Lawspet constituency, where he has been a consistent presence.

In the 2016 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election, Saminathan contested from Lawspet as a BJP candidate and secured 8,891 votes. Although he did not win the seat, his candidature contributed to enhancing the party’s electoral footprint and organisational strength in the constituency. In 2017, he was nominated as a Member of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly by the Central Government, a position he held until 2021, granting him legislative responsibilities despite not achieving a direct electoral victory.

The Lawspet constituency, one of the 30 Assembly segments in Puducherry, falls under the Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency and was established in 1964. Numbered as constituency 11, it has no reservation status and comprises approximately 32,000 electors, making it a moderately sized urban seat within the district.

Electoral trends in Lawspet reveal a highly competitive and shifting political landscape, with no single party maintaining long-term dominance. In the 2021 Assembly election, M. Vaithianathan of the Indian National Congress secured victory, reinforcing the party’s recent influence in the constituency. Earlier, in the 2016 election, V. P. Sivakolundhu of the Congress won the seat, while Saminathan represented the BJP and polled 8,891 votes.

The 2011 election marked a shift when M. Vaithianathan, then representing the All India N.R. Congress, won the constituency, reflecting broader political changes in Puducherry at the time. In previous electoral cycles, including 2006 and 2001, the seat was held by M. O. H. F. Shahjahan of the Congress, indicating a phase of sustained dominance by the party. Going further back, the 1996 election was won by N. Kesavan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, highlighting the influence of regional political forces.

Saminathan’s long-standing association with the BJP and his persistent electoral efforts in Lawspet underscore the party’s gradual expansion in Puducherry’s evolving political landscape. His career reflects both the challenges and steady organisational gains experienced by the BJP in a region historically shaped by shifting alliances and competitive electoral dynamics.