Puducherry to Vote Today for 30 Seats to Elect New Assembly

24,156 of the voters are in the 18-19 age group, and 6,034 are elderly people aged 85 and over.

Speaking to ANI, Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer P. Jawahar outlined the election preparations. He stated that 110 sector officers have been deployed in 1,099 polling stations, of which 209 have been identified as vulnerable and are under the protection of the Central Armed Police Force.

He added that drones, flight crews and hotlines are being used to monitor violations. The Election Department, through district and returning officers, has made extensive arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the process. Polling teams and supplies are dispatched on time, and operations are monitored by drones and sector officials.

Multi-layered security measures have been implemented. Vulnerable polling stations are guarded by central forces as well as local police to prevent incidents. The Model Code of Conduct is strictly enforced during the 48-hour silence period, when campaigns are banned, liquor outlets are closed and incentives are closely monitored.

Technology plays a crucial role, especially in remote areas such as Mahe and Yanam. In order to ensure transparency and security, drone broadcasts from these areas are watched live in 4K quality.

The contest in Puducherry involves the ruling NDA, which includes the All India NR Congress (AINRC) and the BJP, among other allies. The Congress-DMK alliance is also a major rival. Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is trying to triangulate the competition.

The NDA consists of AINRC led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy contesting on 16 seats, BJP contesting on 10 seats and AIADMK and LJK contesting on two seats each. On the other hand, the INDIA bloc includes the Congress competing with 16 seats and the DMK competing with 14 seats.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, has decided to contest independently on three seats after it was offered only one seat.

During the campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress-DMK alliance, accusing it of promoting dynastic politics and not focusing on governance. He also drew attention to internal conflicts within the opposition.

In response, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Puducherry government was “imposed by Delhi” and did not reflect the will of the people. He also accused the BJP of not granting full statehood and encouraging corruption in the Union Territory.

Meanwhile, TVK president Vijay launched a strong attack on both the alliances, terming the AINRC-BJP alliance as “tired” and the Congress-DMK alliance as “confused”. He argued that it would be a “waste” to vote for both and emphasized the need for better governance.

In the 2021 Puducherry Assembly elections, AINRC emerged as the largest party with 10 seats. DMK won six seats, while BJP and Congress secured six seats each. Voter turnout stood at 84.8 percent.

In the 2016 elections, the Congress had won majority with 15 seats, followed by AINRC with eight seats, AIADMK with four seats and DMK with two seats. Voter turnout was recorded at 83.6 percent.

The current term of the 30-member Legislative Assembly will end on June 15. The Election Commission of India announced that the vote counting will be held on May 4.