The counting of votes for the 2026 Puducherry assembly elections is set to commence at 8 am today, May 4, following a historic voter turnout of 89.87% on April 9. This marks the highest polling percentage since the former French colony's merger with India in 1964, surpassing the previous record of 85.57% in 2011.
Counting Arrangements
According to Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), six counting centres have been established across the four regions of the Union Territory: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam. A total of 166 counting tables are designated for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs, with an additional 35 tables for postal ballots. The centres include Women’s Engineering College, Motilal Nehru Government Polytechnic, and Tagore Arts and Science College in Puducherry; PG Centre of Arignar Anna Government Arts and Science College in Karaikal; Jawaharlal Nehru Government Higher Secondary School in Mahe; and SRK Government Arts College in Yanam.
Major Contests
The election witnessed a triangular contest among the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Congress-DMK alliance (Secular Progressive Alliance), and the debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor Vijay. The NDA, comprising Chief Minister N Rangasamy's All India NR Congress (AINRC), BJP, AIADMK, and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), aims for a second consecutive term. AINRC contested 16 seats, BJP 14 (with two each to AIADMK and LJK). The Congress-DMK alliance followed a 16-14 seat-sharing formula, with friendly fights in five constituencies. TVK fielded candidates in 28 seats and allocated two to Neyam Makkal Kazhagam.
Thattanchavady: The High-Profile Battle
The Thattanchavady constituency emerged as the most high-profile seat, pitting Chief Minister N Rangasamy against Congress leader V Vaithilingam, a former two-term chief minister and current MP of the Union Territory's lone Lok Sabha seat. Rangasamy, seeking a fifth term overall and second consecutive NDA term, also contested from Mangalam. In 2021, he contested two seats: Thattanchavady (won) and Yanam (lost by 655 votes).
Key Highlights
- The Puducherry assembly has 33 members: 30 elected and three nominated by the central government.
- The 89.87% turnout surpassed the previous record of 85.57% in 2011.
- Puducherry has not re-elected an incumbent government since 2006, when Congress secured a second term under Rangasamy.
- Rangasamy launched AINRC in 2011 and won two more terms (2011 and 2021), making him the longest-serving chief minister of Puducherry.
Exit Polls and Expectations
Exit polls largely project the AINRC-BJP combine retaining power, but political observers caution that actual results depend on constituency-level performance. The Congress-DMK alliance hopes to make a comeback after being voted out in 2021, while TVK aims to disrupt traditional dynamics by mobilising younger voters.
