NEW DELHI/PUDUCHERRY: The BJP, an ally of AINRC in the Union Territory, on Sunday announced M Arulmurugan as its Karaikal (South) candidate for the April 9 Assembly polls. A press release issued by the BJP's Central office in New Delhi said this.

The first list of the BJP released on Saturday announced its candidates for nine out of the ten seats allotted to it.

Territorial Home Minister A Namassivayam is seeking re-election from Mannadipet as a BJP candidate. Speaker of the outgoing Assembly, Embalam R Selvam, is seeking re-election from Manavely.

A John Kumar of the BJP, a minister inducted in the AINRC-led NDA government in 2025 and remaining without a portfolio, has been shifted to Mudaliarpet from Kamaraj Nagar constituency.

Sai J Saravanan Kumar of the BJP, a former minister in the present government, was not given a ticket, and E Theepainthan, a nominated legislator in the outgoing Assembly, is fielded as the BJP candidate in Oussudu.

Saravanan Kumar's supporters staged a protest on Saturday against the denial of a ticket to him.

They burnt their party identity cards in front of BJP office here. Similarly, former legislator A Baskar, who joined the BJP after quitting AIADMK a few months ago in the presence of Mansukh Mandaviya at Mudarliarpet, couldn't find his name in the candidates' list.

His supporters registered their protest too. Baskar is the elder brother of the AIADMK secretary here, A Anbalagan.